Customer service is one of the key drivers of customer loyalty; therefore, B2B marketers must treat customers as business partners to maintain a good relationship with them and ensure a positive customer engagement atmosphere. If customer loyalty exists, customer retention prospers. Appropriating proper company resources on customer service will inevitably make current clients happy, which is far more cost efficient than generating new customers.
The Customer Service Experience
Businesses must recognize the true worth of customer service and create a protocol wherein providing superior customer experiences is the highest priority. This is a win-win situation for both the customers and the company. Regardless of which stage a consumer is located in the buying cycle, every customer should experience superb customer service. Remember that once a customer has encountered poor service, there will be no repeat purchase.
Customers that have encountered a problem are actually an opportunity for a company to exhibit excellent customer service. No one is perfect; every company will have consumers that sooner or later face a problem or difficulty that can only be resolved if a company addresses and resolves the situation in a timely manner. Commitment to the consumer communicates whether or not the business cherishes its customers.
Creating the Customer Service Experience
B2B companies can create an exceptional customer service experience by following these steps:
Build a Customer-Centric Culture. Prioritize customer needs. A customer-oriented strategy should have the right mixture of culture and commitment. Customer centricity should be the business core.
Use Indicators. Utilize different metrics to make business decisions that concern the customers. Use the data from customer feedback to identify areas of concerns and resolve these problems.
Provide Responses. Always be prompt when responding to customer queries. To resolve customer concerns, company actions reflect a strategy that is based on customer satisfaction. Always notify your customers, including how are you will address their issue or update them if you already done something to remedy the situation.
Using Customer Service to Beat the Competition
According to Yahoo! News, there are several things that B2B marketers should know about customer service in order to outplay the competition. First, since the customer bases in B2B are typically small, marketers must always keep their customers in high spirits. Next, considering that majority of B2B customers are merging, customer service is the primary reason they will stay loyal to a company’s product. Although an established relationship between the B2B marketer and the customer exists, this forged relationship might be taken for granted. It is important that the customers are always greatly served. Moreover, the word-of-mouth generates new customers. Statistically, 30-40% satisfied customers refer the product or service they use or have been using. Be that as it may, when different companies are offering the same type of product or service, and pricing, consumers often rely on the word-of-mouth and the customer experience of other consumers.
Customer Service and Marketing
Many companies today incorporate customer service in their marketing strategy because it affects every business aspect, especially in generating new customers through the word-of-mouth technique. Statistics show that 70% of Americans are willing to spend more on businesses that provide excellent an customer service experience. Integrating marketing campaigns and customer service induce an improved internal correspondence, which leads to unified efforts across departments within the company. Marketing involves not only products and services but also customer service. Outstanding customer service will give companies the competitive edge. Apart from bolstering the repeat-purchase process, word of mouth referrals generates new customers. It also drives customers to write positive reviews, which promotes trust and confidence. Furthermore, it gives businesses knowledge and customer insight, which can be used to create new product lines and to expand the business.
Improving Your Customer Service
Studies show that when companies think that they provide good customer service, only a tenth of the customer population agrees with them. This small percentage can swell by being more dynamic, dependable, friendly and polite; telling customers that they are appreciated; demonstrating genuine concern on your customers; and making the most out of social media (e.g. research what your customers are saying about your product or company, acknowledge online praises and address complaints).