As a professional, you strive to work in a competent, honest, and efficient manner. But have you ever thought about what it’s like working with you from your customers’ perspective? If not, try putting yourself in their place, and see how you score. Simple efforts like regular communication and listening can make or break the customer experience.
For example, think about when you ordered a meal and asked for it to be prepared without a specific ingredient. You are hungry and quite ready to enjoy it. Then, when it is delivered to you, there is the ingredient you don’t care for or are allergic to. Didn’t they listen to your request?
People naturally want to feel heard in a business, medical or personal situation. Make an effort to listen to your customers, understand their goals, remember when they need the project to start or end and accommodate as best you can. It can be helpful to repeat back what they have requested to make sure you have it correct. Listening and doing what a customer asks of you goes a long way towards a successful customer experience.
How would you (as a customer) feel if you paid a deposit for a project, but didn’t know when it would start, what was going on, or when project milestones would be met?
That can be unsettling and disruptive. You (as a vendor) can provide a better customer experience by setting expectations. If possible, show examples of similar work so customers will understand the completed project. Next, put it in writing, so you and the customer have something to go back to and reference. This would include a project timeline. Be sure to explain there may be unforeseen product delivery delays, weather or health issues, or unexpected findings once you get started that could slow it down. If that happens, be sure to reset expectations for the schedule, deliverables and/or cost.
This time imagine you are a patient about to have a procedure. You are in a drafty room wearing a surgical gown, and someone on the staff comes in and says, “It’s time,” then leaves you alone again. You don’t know what it is time for or why you’ve been left alone. Does that concern you?
If no one has told you exactly what the procedure entails, when it will begin and finish, and how you will feel, the “unknown” can be pretty stressful. This situation would be like if a customer notices that their project looks different than expected or days go by without anyone working on it. As a vendor, be sure to keep in touch with your customer with updates as the project moves along. Ask them if they have any questions and address their concerns. If work needs to stop for a period, let the customer know why and for how long so they can plan accordingly. Unaddressed concerns can quickly turn into complaints which can damage a vendor’s reputation. On the other hand, answering questions and providing updates, even if the news isn’t what they want to hear, alleviates the stress of the unknown for customers.
Here is one final tip for a better customer experience: Offer your customers savings by taking advantage of Incentive Assignments. You’ll be reimbursed quickly (some through direct deposit) and can make customers happy by reducing their upfront costs. For more comprehensive customer strategies, be on the lookout for the upcoming course: Building Trust Through Customer Service.