Humans are relational beings, and it would be wise to take note of this when considering customer service. Relationships are, in fact, key to selling, vital to building a core of repeat consumers, and necessary to prosper as a business. With a few exceptions, everyone seeks a connection with the people they come across, and if your goal is to provide excellent customer service, then connect yourself with the customer. So how does one properly nurture a relationship with a customer? Make the consumer your priority.Engage, Excel, and EncourageOne must first engage with the customer; do not wait, but welcome and engage within seconds of seeing a customer. Engage quickly, but also engage intentionally and reach out to the people near you. If they are wearing some form of name tag, then greet them by name. The way that you act, is the way that they will perceive the company. By personally engaging with them, they see that you and the business that you ultimately represent, are devoted to excellence and committed to serving. Isn’t that what every business wants to convey? As you engage, smile, listen, conduct a genuine conversation in asking how they are doing, find common ground, or if you can help them in any way. No matter the response on their behalf, you have done your part to initiate a relationship with the consumer through engaging with the individual.
Once engaged, excel in serving the customer. Serving is simply being useful in catering to the prospect. For example, if the customer has a question, answer it to the best of your knowledge; but if you do not have all the answers, then smoothly, speedily, and politely find someone able to meet the needs of the customer. If the customer needs aid in finding an item, do not carelessly point and tell them where it is located, but happily engage with the customer and walk them to where the item can be found. If a customer is complaining, then listen to what they have to say, apologize for what happened, and ask how it can be resolved. By excelling in caring for the customer, you actively support what was said in the initial engagement and further solidify the harmony of the relationship with the purchaser.Lastly, warmly encourage your customers to come back. Inviting people to come back can be an enormous game changer for your business and distinguish your service from your competitor’s. By now you should have engaged with the customer and excelled in serving them, and to encourage their return by saying, “thank you for coming, come back and see us soon” is easily putting the icing on the cake. Through this encouragement, the customer walks out of the door feeling appreciated for their business, and therefore more likely to return through the same door, not because of the products that you have but because of the excellent service you provide.
Because relationships are vital to business, one should make nurturing relationships a must. Building successful relationships is grounded in excellent customer service, which is achieved through engaging with the customer, excelling in serving the customer, and encouraging the customer to come back. As you connect with the individuals that make their way into your store, pursue them knowing that the growth of the company depends on it; they need you and you need them. In impressively serving an individual, there is a good chance that you may soon come across their network of family and friends. An employee does not just work for the company, the employee also works for the customer, so connect yourself with them.