You and I are inevitably human. But how many of us are mindfully human in the way that we interact with our colleagues and customers in business?
While we all agree that human-to-human interaction is important to any successful business and person, there remains a huge divide between what we believe and what we deliver.
While profit, resources and saving time are common focuses for organisations, don’t lose sight that being human can help drive your business’ bottom line.
To provide truly great customer service, we must understand our customers and create value in their lives. Much of what is needed to understand our customer’s needs comes from within ourselves – our humanness; our emotions.
At McElwaine Estate Agents, we practice humanness through our customer service everyday by following four key elements.
- Honesty
You may believe that real estate agents are far from honest, but we are transforming that picture. The initial conversation we have with a potential seller is when we formulate a plan to help sell their home. If we believe that selling is not their best option (perhaps due to a life circumstance), we tell them!
It pays to be honest to your clients. To build a relationship of trust and to be there for them.
We live in a heavily marketed world and sifting through those messages can, at times, be overwhelming. A little consideration, thought and authenticity can ultimately determine the services we choose today, tomorrow and those we recommend to others.
- Create an experience
The customer journey should sit at the heart of any business. From the moment a potential customer first comes across your name to the decision and buying experience and finally following purchase, each step is important for customer retention. In fact, a wrong move could mean a lost customer.
Take a look at your entire customer experience and identify the touch points, i.e. when a customer is in contact with your brand before, during and after the purchase. Use each touch point to shine and provide value to your customers.
- Listen
Listening is something you need to do really, really well. Listen to your customers; understand their needs and issues and adapt your responses to solve those.
With technology constantly changing the lives we lead, your business needs to stay buoyant and flexible to meet your customer’s needs. That means listening to them on an ongoing basis and making adjustments to your products, services and customer journey to suit.
- Care
We aren’t machines. Be present and go the extra mile for your customers. Care about their lives, needs and how you can fill those. Showing that you care can be simple. For example, at McElwaine we send follow up letters to our customers after they sell or buy with us to check that they have settled in ok. It’s a simple thought, but one we take seriously in ensuring every stage of their service is positive.
The simple matter of caring will not only create a better customer experience, it will help build loyal, happy customers; retain lifelong customers and create word-of-mouth.
With the digital age here, the world has changed from the traditional 9-5 and has become an intermix of work and life – creating a chance for us to reach out with our humanness and build meaningful relationships with our customers in the lives they lead.
How is your business’ customer experience holding up?
