As a small business you are well-positioned to provide a far more personal service than any larger competitors. In fact, customer experience can be a key differentiator and become a real competitive advantage. Remember, as a small business you have speed and flexibility on your side so here are some tips to help you exceed your customers’ expectations every time.
4 Ways to Effectively Leverage Customer Experience
1. Understand your Customer
One area a small business can beat a larger competitor hands down is in their ability to know exactly who their customers are and precisely what it is they want. As a small company, you are well placed to develop a deeper connection with your targets and discover exactly what is important to them and tailor your services accordingly.
2. Get Up Close and Personal
Once you’ve identified your customer needs it’s time to invest time in direct mail personalisation. Using customer names in email mail and direct mail blasts and sending them a special voucher on their birthday or anniversary is an important part of your relationship but remember that effective personalisation is about using all the data you’ve gathered about your targets’ preferences and using this information to create a truly tailored experience.
3. Empower your People
In larger organisations, you may find that staff are hindered by company policies and procedures to be able to respond to a customer at the speed they may desire. Use this to your advantage and put your faith in your team to do the right thing by your customers. Encourage your staff to be proactive and authorise them (up to a dollar amount you’re comfortable with) to solve a customer issue as they see fit without requiring manager or supervisor approval.
4. Act Faster than your Competition
As you can see, speed of response can really become a secret weapon for a small business and help deliver a customer experience than others find difficult to match (particularly the big companies out there). Take time to listen to your customers and make sure you respond to feedback and resolve any issues quickly and to their satisfaction.
5. Ask for feedback
For ideas on how your business can deliver great customer experiences, speak to the team at your local Kwik Kopy today.
