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Category: Tips

4 Simple Steps To Get Return Customers

Posted on by Ilsa Morales

Source: Stockphoto.com O#23559 – ID#100012767065

It takes effort to create a return customer, but with the number of sales they bring to your store in return, they’re worth the extra effort. If your business is using up all of its resources towards directing its advertising budget on attracting new clients, you may be missing out on a huge market… the customers that you already have.

The Power of Loyalty

Getting a new customer will usually cost your business money on advertising. Loyal customers don’t just buy your products; they tell other people about them. They might even post your products on their social media pages, giving your business free advertising to hundreds or even thousands of new potential customers.

New customers may appear once or twice and you’ll never hear from them again, but every new customer is an opportunity to create a return customer. And that is why it is important to take care of every single customer as well as you can. If you do it right, every customer can become a lifelong customer, which really pays over time. If you offer a great product or service, there is no reason why you won’t be able to create a strong following of return customers.

businessman customers
Source: Stockphoto.com O#23559 – ID#100031456475

Here are 4 simple steps to create a loyal following of return customers

Create The Right Environment

If your business isn’t presentable, you probably won’t get many people wanting to return. Take a walk around your store and make notes. Your store should be comfortable and welcoming. The inside and outside should be clean, the lighting should be inviting, and the layout should be easy to maneuver through. If a customer cannot find the product that they need, then your layout might need some changing up. Take some time out to think about your decor and finishing touches, too. Listen to the feedback you hear from staff and customers about the environment and see what could use some sprucing up, while leaving the things that are already working.

Have Your Staff Put Their Best Foot Forward

If you’re not always around or selling directly to your customer, then you need to be sure that you have a loyal and friendly staff, who preferably believe in the products they are selling. Your staff should not only be friendly, but they need to be knowledgeable as well. A kind and well-informed staff will leave the right kind of impression on your customers. If a customer has a positive experience, they are more likely to return even if they did not purchase anything the first time. Gather your staff together for training sessions to be sure that they are upholding your business to the highest degree. Having a properly trained staff will ensure positive interactions.

Learn Your Customers’ Names

Introductions are the best way to make a good impression on someone right away. If you are not great at remembering names, try to make a mental note about something that the person is wearing and repeat their name back to them. If your business is very busy and you don’t have time to introduce yourself to everyone, go out of your way to introduce yourself to people that you already recognize. IVR technology can free up valuable time and scale the effectiveness of your workforce. Recognizing a frequent customer will help you to learn what the customer wants and expects.

Remember Your Customers and What They Like and Don’t Like

Now that you have brought in a customer for a second time and have introduced yourself to them and gotten their name, you can start taking notes about their shopping habits. Many businesses use this technique and it makes their repeat customers feel appreciated. For example, if you run a wine store and you already know that a customer likes a certain wine region, you can remind them when you know you are getting a new wine from that particular region. If you own a restaurant, remembering people’s allergies and sending out their favorite appetizer as a compliment will guarantee that your customers will return.

Return Customers = Greater Value

If you remember to do all four of these simple steps, your business will soon be on its way to maximizing its profits. As a business, you want as many customers as possible, however, loyalty goes very far in the long-run. Gaining a customer and keeping them for years to come means your initial marketing efforts were ultimately successful, enabling you to bank on them long-term. Considering the large expense marketing can be, why not extend your efforts for the highest yield?

The Best Business Voicemail Greetings

Posted on by Ilsa Morales

Source: Stockphoto.com O#22773 – ID#5239406

There’s nothing more annoying than getting sent to a voicemail box that is full or hasn’t been set up yet. And you could be missing out on customers if you don’t have an automated voice response system for those callers who contact you outside of business hours. If you can’t be available 24/7, the best thing to have set up is a fail-safe. After all, you don’t want to miss out on a potential sale.

serious businessman talking on the phone
Source: Stockphoto.com O#22773 – ID#100044073359

One of the best things you can do for your business is to set up the best voicemail greeting for your business so that your customers actually want to leave a message, and trust that you will get back to them.

Here are the Dos and Don’ts of creating the perfect business voicemail greeting

  • Do apologize that you are unavailable to take their call
  • Don’t use an overused phrase that will annoy callers right off the bat
  • Do encourage your customer to leave a message
  • Don’t just keep the default voicemail greeting
  • Do let the customer know which department and voicemail box they have reached
  • Don’t over-complicate the voicemail message; it should be simple and to the point
  • Do give the customer an expected time that you will return their call, such as during regular business hours
  • Don’t forget to follow up with them
  • Do give the customer alternate ways to get the information that they need, whether that is directing them to an FAQ page on your website or providing a customer service email address. If your business deals with emergencies, there should be an emergency line available for them to call.

Now that you know the Dos and Don’ts of creating an awesome outgoing voicemail message, you are ready to follow a very simple formula to creating a professional business greeting that gets the information you need out while keeping the message short. Here’s how:

  1. State your name or the name of your business.
  2. Apologize for missing the calls (you can give a quick reason why you’re not available such as “not at my desk” or “closed for the holiday.”
  3. Ask for their information so you can call them back. For example, asking them to state their name, number, and issue with the service or product will be very helpful for you. It is very important to find out why they are having an issue and calling before you call them back. You need to be prepared to be able to solve their problem.
  4. On the other hand, you can encourage them to call back at a certain date and time where you are more likely to answer the phone. Offering to call them back and giving them an option to call you again at a better time will establish trust between you and the customer. They know that no matter what, they will be able to reach you next time, whether you call them or they call you back.
  5. Seize the opportunity to tell them about a promotion. Since you already have them on the phone, let them know about any new products or information that they may be interested in learning about.
  6. End the message politely. It is as simple as thanking them for making the call and wishing that they have a great rest of their day.

An example of a great voicemail greeting is, “Hi you’ve reached the office of (your company name). Unfortunately, we cannot get to the phone right now and apologize for the inconvenience. If you leave your name, number, and the reason you are calling we will get back to you as soon as we can. Otherwise, you can reach us at our regular business hours, Monday thru Friday 8am-8pm. Thank you for calling and I hope you have a great rest of your day!”

If you have a virtual phone system set up for your business, then you already have the tools to create a great business voicemail message. When you’re creating the perfect voicemail greeting, simply apply these guidelines and remember to be polite, informative, and encourage the customer to leave a voicemail so you can follow up with them. It’s as simple as that!

How To Turn A Disgruntled Customer into a Loyal One

Posted on by Ilsa Morales

Source: Stockphoto.com O#22773 – ID#100160926852

A customer’s happiness is the most important component of a business’ success. Without customers, there is no business. Therefore, making customer service an integral part of your business model is extremely important. Since it all starts with customer service, make sure that your staff is fully trained in how to deal with an angry customer should a problem occur. One bad customer experience is the quickest way to turn your customers over to your competitors, so being able to diffuse bad situations is the key to success. Having a great relationship with your customers will bring up the value of your brand and increase your sales. If your customer is angry, there are ways to please them, and even turn them into a customer for life. Here are several tips to keep in mind:

Angry hysterical young woman screaming
Source: Stockphoto.com O#22773 – ID#100160926560

Actively Listen To Your Customer

Take into account what your customers are saying about your products. There are times when a customer is angry about something outside of the service. Perhaps they are just having a bad day, so remember it is only your business to be sure that you solve their anger surrounding the issue with your product. Listen to what their issue is with intent, let them completely explain everything. Be completely silent while they explain, you may nod or acknowledge that you are listening, but be sure that they are finished talking before you begin.

Apologize Immediately

No matter what the issue is, be sure to apologize right away for the mistake or miscommunication. It might be an immediate reaction to want to be defensive of your products, but you have to remember that this person is allowed to air their grievances since they purchased the product and supported your business.

Go Out Of Your Way To Make Them Happy

This is what could turn your angry customer into a loyal one. If you do it right, your customer will be excited to return to your store. Going out of your way also makes your customer feel special. Perhaps you work at a restaurant and a customer was unsatisfied with their meal; you could comp the food and include a gift card to get them to return. When they return, you can go out of your way to make the next experience much better. By going above and beyond, you’ve created a customer for life.

Create an Opportunity for Improvement

Every angry customer brings up a solid point about issues with your company or your product. Take every opportunity to learn about what you need to improve on in order to give yourself a leg up from the competition. Treat complaints as if they are a problem that you need to figure out with your brand. If one customer is unhappy and lets you know there is a problem, surely there have been customers with the same issue but never mentioned it; they respond by simply not buying your product again. With that in mind, customer complaints are invaluable resources for improvement. Your business will never stop growing as long as your customers’ needs are being met and your product continues to improve. If you feel that your business does have room to grow and you don’t want to sit around waiting for complaints to roll in, consider sending out a survey that your customers can opt-in or out of to gauge their satisfaction.

Build Up Your Reputation

By consistently meeting consumer needs and providing excellent customer service, you will quickly gain a reputation for being delightful to shop with. Brands like Nordstrom have built up their reputation with customers and they have thousands of reviews from customers gushing about their dependability. People are more likely to go with a dependable option than something that has a wishy-washy reputation. Just remember, every angry customer is a chance to win customers over and invite them back.

By using these four simple tips and responding to angry customers in a positive and approachable manner, your business will be flourishing in no time. Since your company is now focusing on customer relationships, you have the tools to thrive in any market.

How To Boost Morale At Work

Posted on by Chase Rogers

Source: Stockphoto.com O#22222 – ID#100051556977

Are your employees excited to come into work? Or do they shuffle in begrudgingly five minutes late every day? Are your employees’ friends with each other and you often find them sharing a laugh at the water cooler? Or do they keep themselves? If you find that your employees display poor moods while working, low employee morale could be damaging to your business. Productivity slows down, people seek alternative employment at high rates, and cooperation between employees worsens when your employees aren’t happy to come into work. This has the potential to put your business’ success at risk. When you are in a leadership position, it is your responsibility to strengthen morale among your employees. Read on to learn some simple yet creative ways to boost employee morale at work.

coworkers walking at the office
Source: Stockphoto.com O#22222 – ID#100164168072

Plan a Company Outing

Company outings are a great way for employees to get to know each other. You may have been to an outing or two for your company. It could have gone well or ended up a flop. Instead of having the head of HR plan the outing, ask your team what they would like to do. If people are hesitant to come up with ideas, make it an anonymous nomination. Once you have a few ideas your team can vote for what they would like to. It shows your employees you are interested in them and your rewarding activity will be more appreciated.

Show Your Employees That Their Jobs Matter

A 9-6 can get monotonous when employees are working on the same thing every day. Monotony gives time for pondering with what’s going on in places where the grass may (possibly) be greener. Show your employees that their work does have value in the real world. For example, restaurants will often read aloud 5-star Yelp reviews and congratulate their team when they’ve done a good job. Positive reinforcement can come in the most simple of ways.

Have Fun In The Office

Take a day each month where your employees can just have fun together for an hour, or even the whole day! Set up a Wii tennis match, play board games, or split your employees into teams and have them solve a mystery. The winning person or team can win awesome rewards like tickets to a sporting event or concert.

Get Rid of The Bullies

Sometimes we work with jerks. As the saying goes, “one bad apple could spoil the whole bunch.” If you find that a member of your team is often intimidating, rude, negative, or belittling it might be time to let that person go. They’re probably making everyone around them as miserable as they are. This is especially important in upper management, where one foul boss can have a seriously negative impact on their employees. A good way to weed these people out is to encourage constant feedback between employees and HR.

Take Time To Inspire Your Employees

Depression and anxiety rates are at an all-time high so giving your team the tools they need to combat anxiousness and depression at work is crucial. Schedule a monthly meditation and offer to reimburse gym memberships since exercise is shown to decrease anxiety and depression. Set up a time to watch inspirational videos, or have an inspirational speaker come in to speak to your team, then have an open discussion afterward so the ideas really stick.

Give Your Employees Real Lunch Breaks

Many white-collar employees opt to eat at their desks. However, taking a walk outside or trying a new restaurant would actually boost their moods and creative thinking. Taking a short break from work is a great way to recharge your batteries and encouraging your employees to take advantage of that is great for boosting employee morale.

Celebrate Your Employees

If your team surpassed their quarterly goals, reward them! Throw a pizza party in honor of their hard work or present your hardworking employees with a much-deserved bonus. Don’t forget work anniversaries either! Show your employees you appreciate the job that they’re doing by sending a little note or giving a bonus when they’ve reached a great milestone.

When your employees are in the presence of capable leadership, are recognized for their hard work, and feel that they are a part of something bigger than themselves, they exhibit higher morale, which in turn results in a higher level of performance. Keep encouraging and rewarding great work, and you will soon be reaping the rewards of a successful business that is powered by hard-working, happy employees.