How Easy are You to do Business With?
Today there are more options than ever before, which can make being a customer difficult and exhausting. Companies not only need to meet and exceed customer expectations with the services and products they offer, they need to make it easy to be a customer.
As I am planning my wedding, I now realize how important it is for businesses to make it easy to be a customer. As a bride, I have millions of decisions to make each day. But I realized, “Don’t we all, bride or not?” As I am working with various vendors including (but definitely not limited to) florists, linens, photographers, venues… the list goes on, I have found that some have it right and some don’t.
* Turn Your Call Center Into Relationship Center – Workshop
The best vendors make it easy to be a customer. They are the ones that have flexible schedules, no additional, astronomical charges for delivery (hello, we live in the world of Amazon and free next-day shipping), and provide viable solutions within my price range. How easy are you to do business with?
Being easy to do business with means that customers are more likely to recommend you to others, spend more money with you, and write you those positive reviews. The less effort it takes for consumers to accomplish their goal when they contact you, the more loyal they become.
“You need to give your customers fewer reasons to be disloyal, and the best way to make that happen is to reduce customer effort.”
– Matthew Dixon, The Effortless Experience
Here are the questions you should be asking yourself to determine how easy you are to do business with:
Are you reachable?
The old 9:00-5:00 business hours is not cutting it anymore. Customers want you to be available on several different platforms and channels 24/7. If a customer messages on Instagram and does not get a response within a few moments, they are likely to reach out on another platform via phone, email or live chat. Customers expect omni-channel service and immediate responses.
Businesses that adopt omni-channel strategies achieve 91% greater year-over-year customer retention rates compared to business that don’t, according to a survey conducted by Aspect Software.
Do you make it easy to be a customer, especially if it is the first time doing business with you?
Are you able to provide clear examples of what I can expect working with you. Not just a catalog of your inventory, but how will this look for me. Paint a picture of what this partnership is going to look like for me. If there is an opportunity to personalize the interaction, do it.
Are you flexible and creative?
Accommodating every request by a customer may not be possible if they are working with a tight budget. However, every business has the opportunity to provide some services within the customer’s desired price range. Although you may not be able to satisfy all the customer’s needs within their lower budget, you can offer various solutions that satisfy some of their desires without emptying their bank account. Provide creative solutions to meet the needs of the client and they will sing your praises to others!
The businesses with long response times, unclear information, and little to no price flexibility are going to leave the (potential) customer exhausted and looking for other options. Availability, clarity, and flexibility are the factors that customers look for to determine if they want to do business with you.
Stop Trying
Business is hard―but it doesn’t have to be. You have realized that your business needs change―that’s the first step. Andy Bailey is a serial entrepreneur who spends the majority of his time coaching other entrepreneurs, business owners, leaders and teams to grow dynamic businesses that focus on: people, strategy, execution and cash. His book, No Try, Only Do is about how to avoid “the weak option,” why entrepreneurs often fall back on it, and the lessons Andy learned via his own bloody experiences over the years. If you’re a business owner or entrepreneur, there’s no room for “try” in your vocabulary.
Andy Bailey Presenting At The Customer Service Revolution
The DiJulius Group is thrilled to announce Andy Bailey will be presenting at the 2019 Customer Service Revolution. Andy Bailey will crush the myth of time management (yes, that’s right – time management doesn’t exist) and focus on goal setting, efficiency and priority management. After providing goal discovery and execution techniques, as well as tangible focus and concentration techniques, Andy will delve into four priority management techniques:
- Create true focus on the important areas in your life
- Clearly define and visualize your goals
- Manage your routine to result in consistent execution – day after day
- Fight off the demons that steal your time and attention
The content in this presentation is beneficial to everyone from C-level executives to college freshmen. Attendees will leave with a personalized, actionable plan.
*Pre-Order John’s New Book The Relationship Economy
Time is running out!
August 1st, 2019 is your last chance to receive $650 off your ticket for the Customer Service Revolution happening on September 11-12, 2019.
What is the Customer Service Revolution?
The Customer Service Revolution is the leading education and networking event for leaders and entrepreneurs who want to win and compete based on service.
This year we’ll come together September 11-12, 2019 at the Huntington Convention Center in Cleveland, Ohio to reinvent your service, get inspired, and learn the best practices and innovations from world-class organizations.
Every year, we are excited to host leaders from all industries in including:
- Teams that deliver customer service (many companies bring their entire team to inspire them and create an opportunity to work together on their customer service delivery)
- Leaders who have been tasked with building customer service programs
- Entrepreneurs who want to compete on service rather than price
- Departmental leaders from all areas (B2B and B2C) including retail, call center, manufacturing, sales, operations, distribution, franchise, and more
- Customer experience officers or managers
We can’t wait to see you at America’s #1 Customer Service conference. Grab your ticket before August 1st to receive $650 off.
