A recent survey indicates that 26% of customers will stop using a business after just one bad customer experience, while 92% would end after three or fewer bad experiences. This means your money is on the line when a customer gets poor service at your company, whether you are a large or small enterprise.
So, how do you end bad customer service experiences? The answer to this question is complex and multifaceted, involving training, role-playing, a clear understanding of the importance of the customer, and more.
One fairly simple solution is to increase engagement with the customer. There are many ways to increase customer engagement, from the way we greet customers in person or on the phone to providing thank you gifts.
Here are some concrete customer engagement ideas to increase customer loyalty!
Customer Engagement Ideas That Will Help Your Business Grow
1. Warm Greetings
If you own a retail business, be sure to make eye contact and warmly greet customers when they enter. This costs nothing and goes a long way to establishing a rapport.
2. Business Cards
Have business cards available readily, on the front counter for retail businesses and on hand with salespeople, field or service technicians, and the owner for service-oriented businesses. Whoever meets the customer should have and use business cards. Handing the customer a business card gives the customer confidence and gives your company a higher level of professionalism. Typically, business cards cost pennies per card, so they make for very inexpensive marketing.
3. Conversations
Engage customers in conversation during pauses in more business-related conversations. If you can learn something personal, it can open up the conversation and helps create trust. It also gives you something to talk about the next time you see the customer. Again, this costs nothing.
4. Partnerships With The Right Customers
Be sure to have a clear understanding of what the customer wants and make sure it is something your company can provide in a timely fashion. Sometimes, avoiding a bad experience is as simple as admitting a job is not a good fit for your business. You could even send them to someone better suited to handling work that is not suitable for your company. That way, the customer will remember your kind referral when they have appropriate work for you!
5. Welcome Packet
Try creating a welcome packet for new customers. This may not be appropriate for all businesses, but for businesses that involve a lot of repeat business, it really gets the relationship off to a great start. This type of packet can be an investment, so try to make sure the information inside is either easy to change out or won’t change often. Here are some ideas of things you may want to include:
- Price lists or lists of services or products offered
- Sales Sheets offering more detail
- A spot for business cards to be inserted
- Company hours
- Company web address
- List of key personnel and a short bio for each
- Small pocket folders can contain all of this information and look great!
6. Customer Calls
Call or email customers regularly who place over a certain size of the order. Ask about whether they were happy with your service and try to find out how your company can do even better.
7. Promotional Items
Offer customers a customized promotional item that they will use and keep around for some time. There are tons of possibilities here so be creative. For example, you could have custom pens, tote bags, or T-shirts made, among other things.
8. Coupons
Hand out coupons or coupon codes periodically that will keep customers coming back. Unexpected surprises can elevate your company’s profile in a customer’s mind.
9. Consistent Branding
Make sure all of your printed materials and website look professional and consistent with one another. Use a professional designer if possible. It is important to put your best foot forward.
10. Live Phone Calls
Try to make your phone answering as personal as possible. Although modern phone systems encourage the use of automated answering and voice mail, be careful to keep people involved. Try to encourage live phone answering and return phone calls quickly. Greet people warmly by phone and get to know them if you can.
Printed Materials Keep Customers Engaged!
Looking for customer engagement ideas to end bad experiences? Need help with printed materials that help keep customers engaged? Call or contact the experts at The Print Authority today!
We can create practically anything you need for your small business, including welcome packets, coupons, custom promotional items, business cards, and so much more! We even have professional graphic design services to help you create a high-end, consistent brand across all your printed materials.
Get a custom quote today!
