Julie Henne Your customers want to deal with real people and experience personability during their interactions with your business. Is this something you’re offering them?
Are you focused on the customer experience, whether in your store or online, to ensure it reflects your company culture? Are you creating a culture of service and not just going after sales? Let’s review some tips to make your business much more personable.
Your Company Culture Begins at the Top
As the owner, CEO, President, leader, and manager of your business, how have you set the tone for your business? Whether you have five employees or 500, service needs to be part of your culture, especially customer service. This means understanding how to build relationships with customers, find ways to meet their needs, and know how to bring a positive experience to everyone that visits your location or interacts with your team online.
Learn to Use Empathy, Patience, and Consistency in Your Customer Interactions
Nothing will show your customers the personability you offer better than if you can offer empathy, patience, and consistency in your interactions. Some of your customers will pose lots of questions when looking for answers, others just want to talk, and some will be angry before you ever get to greet them. Stay calm, understand their situation, and offer solutions that could work for them.
Actively Engage Through Your Social Media Accounts
Nothing is worse for a customer that comments on your social media posts than to not have any reply from your company. This will make that user feel like you’re only after their money and don’t care about what they have to say. You must have a presence on social media, and you need to prioritize responding to those who interact with your content quickly and consistently.
Ask for Understanding from Your Customers
When you’re explaining a process or product to a customer, you want to ensure they understand every aspect of what you’re telling them. Show your customers the personability they desire by pausing briefly to ask if they understand what you’ve told them and to find out if they have any questions. You are selling them what your company offers, but you are also having a conversation with a person and need to treat the interaction appropriately.
Even When Faced with Tough Customers, Use the Golden Rule
Whether you’ve got a customer that seems to be getting angrier and angrier online or they are right in front of you spewing out their feelings at you, it’s important to use the Golden Rule. Treat these customers the way you would want to be treated. This doesn’t mean taking a personal attack on you or your character but showing some understanding can go a long way.
Every Customer is Different, Remember That
Just because one customer was easy and knew what they wanted doesn’t mean every customer will be the same way. Customers are people, and it shows a lot of personability for you to understand that everyone is different. Think about your own family and how different everyone is, and you’ll see how you can extrapolate that feeling to the rest of the world and continuously learn how to relate to various types of customers.
Be the Champion for Your Brand
What do people think when they think about your brand? Do they picture you and your character, or do they think of a company that is only interested in a sale and doesn’t have a personality? Most people want to work with someone and a company that gives them the feeling they are working with a company that cares about them. Become the champion your brand needs.
The Clock is Ticking, Give Your Answers Promptly
One reason many companies are employing chatbots is to ensure customers receive prompt answers when team members aren’t available. When inquiries get to you from your customers, one of the best ways to show personability is to answer these questions promptly. The clock on your answer begins the moment a customer sends you the question.
Don’t Fear the Unknown
There are many times when a question might come to you that you don’t have the answer for. Whether you have a customer asking it to you in person or online, don’t be afraid to tell the customer that you don’t know the answer. Follow that response with the assurance that you’ll find the answer and get back to them. Once you tell them this, the clock is ticking again, and you need to find that answer and return it to them right away.
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