The Art of Listening To Your Customers

Customers come in all shapes and sizes. Some prefer to be spoken to in writing while others prefer to be given the information and asked if they want to buy what is being offered. However, no matter what type of customer you have, you want to make sure that they feel heard and that what your team is saying is being taken into consideration.

If one of your employees asks a customer if they're feeling satisfied with the service they're receiving, how do you think that customer will react? If you aren't sure, ask them. You can also ask for their feedback to see what could be improved.

Giving your employees the space to ask customers questions is a great way to get insight into what is working well and what could be improved upon. However, if you're not sure how to begin establishing a dialogue with your customers, here are some tips on how to do it correctly.

Set Up The Environment

You need to take the time to set up the environment for customer engagement. Establishing a comfortable conversation won't happen if you aren't sure where to start. In addition to asking employees to be mindful of what is said around customers, you can also ensure that your customers feel welcome and heard by placing signs in the entranceway that say "We're Open" and "We Listen" or "We Care" (depending upon your brand guidelines).

Along with signs, you can put stickers on the telephone and computer keyboards of your employees to encourage them to engage with customers in a genuine manner. When customers encounter these prompts, it gives them the feeling that what they have to say will be heard and acted upon.

Create A Culture Of Customer Focus

Your employees are the face of your company, so it's essential that they act in a manner that reflects your brand's values. Establishing and maintaining a culture of customer focus starts with you, the owner of the company. Make sure that everyone you engage with regards your customers and knows that their first priority is to satisfy the customers who have chosen your brand. You can do this by communicating clearly and consistently your expectation that your employees' primary responsibility is to the customer.

If your employees take pride in delivering an exceptional customer experience, you will be able to see it in everything that they do. Additionally, providing your staff with regular one-on-one's with customers, especially those that are new, will help establish a trusting relationship between your brand and theirs.

Listen To What They Have To Say

As mentioned before, some customers prefer to be spoken to in writing while others prefer to have everything spelled out for them. To further establish and maintain a culture of customer focus, you can ask customers to help you find the answers you seek by sharing their thoughts in writing. If a customer is having trouble understanding or following the process, have a conversation with them so that they feel heard and that their needs and concerns are being met. Finally, if possible, follow-up with the customer after the conversation to see if their needs are still being addressed.

Sometimes, customers will say something and you will take it the wrong way. In these situations, you can apologize and ask them to clarify what they meant. You can also say that you will address their concerns and follow-up as a way of showing that you are truly committed to satisfying the needs of all of your customers.

Regularly Report Back To Customers

In today's world, customers have more options than ever before when it comes to finding businesses to do business with. If you are aware that your customers are experiencing frustration or are simply looking for an easy way to get what they want, it's up to you to react. One way of doing this is by actively seeking out feedback from your customers and using this information to improve the quality of their experience. If you are regularly reporting back to customers, you are showing them that you are taking their needs and concerns into consideration and that you are acting upon this feedback to make their experience better.

As the owner of a business, you are in a privileged position to establish and maintain a positive relationship with your customers. By using the suggestions discussed here, you will be able to start the conversation and get to the point where your customers feel heard and that their needs are being taken into consideration.