Customer service is more than interacting with your customers. To provide the best customer service possible, you need to spend time observing customers to get a good understanding of your target market. It’s important to learn as much as you can about your customers to provide them with the service they expect. Fortunately, there are simple measures you can take to allow you to learn about the habits, likes, and dislikes of your customers. This information can help you improve your customer-service strategy.
Look at Sales
Observing customers doesn’t have to be a difficult process. Start by collecting your company’s sales data to see what types of products or services your customers are buying during specific times of the year. Picking up on customer habits, including their buying habits, allows you to tailor promotions that entice your customers to make purchases and keep coming back. Tracking trends in your customers’ buying habits throughout the year allows you to consider what type of sales or promotions to offer during the following year.
On the Front Line
Customer service representatives can also learn about their client base by signing them up for the company’s mailing list. On a mailing list form, companies typically ask for some basic information in addition to the customer’s name, home address, and email address. This information can tell you your customers’ average age range, their geographic distribution, and whether the majority of them are male or female. Mailing lists are a focused way of observing customers, providing you with a good idea of the types of people who enjoy your products or services.
A company’s customer service department is often in the best position to observe customer habits because customer service reps are the people who have the most regular interaction with customers. Observing customers can be done in person, online, or over the phone. It’s important to pick up on details, for example, the tone of the customer’s voice or whether the customer is typing in all caps. These little clues can help you distinguish between a satisfied and dissatisfied customer, providing you to the opportunity to retain a dissatisfied customer and turn him or her into a loyal customer.
Customer Surveys
Another way of observing customers is through customer service surveys. You can offer these simple surveys any time a member has an interaction with your company, and you can include a variety of questions to give you the insight you’re looking for. This is a great way to collect data that can help you learn more about your customers and improve your customer service strategy.
It’s important to remember that any interaction a person has with your company gives you the chance to provide them with a good customer service experience. Observing customers allows you to analyze customer behavior and preferences, enabling you to make changes aimed at increasing customer satisfaction and loyalty.
About the Author
Nancy Anderson is the communities and article Editor for Beyond.com. Nancy has 10 years experience in the online job search business with Beyond. Nancy’s team produces dozens of articles every month for top internet sites. Follow Nancy and the Beyond team on https://twitter.com/BeyondJobs.