What makes a happy customer can (and often is) debated. But one thing is for certain: they do need to be happy to return to your business. But what about empowering them, too? After all, empowered customers are more satisfied, more loyal, and more likely to recommend you to others.
If they feel respected and valued, it builds a positive relationship that might even turn into complete brand loyalty. The kind of person who has the same bank account for most of their life, or stays with their mobile phone provider is the customer companies obvious love. Unfortunately, they can be taken for granted, as most people will go where the value lies, not just where the familiarity is.
But how do you actually do this? It’s all very well to say “empower your customers,” but does that fit for your business? Maybe, maybe not. Perhaps you’ll have to come up with a new way to define this approach. In this post, we’ll discuss how that might work best:
Provide Transparent Information
You should strive to lay all the information about how to use your services simply and clearly, ensuring there are no hidden fees or confusing terms that make them feel tricked after the fact. Think about every step of the process, even if it’s just browsing your products, or if they want to read your privacy policy (how easy is it to find?). Ultimately, you want them to feel confident and informed at every turn.
For instance, if you run an online store, make sure the delivery times are clearly stated before they get to the payment page, and that all costs, including the total for their order or even details about something like the California sales tax, are visible. A simple FAQ section directed to can be a huge benefit also.
Give Them Self-Service Options
Everyone likes to feel like they have control over their own experience, and so if a business trusts their customers to sort simple issues on their own, it can really help. For instance, if they don’t always have to rely on calling someone or waiting for an email response just to handle basic tasks like changing their email on their account, they’re going to appreciate it.
For instance, providing an account portal that lets them easily track their order or start a return without having to speak to an agent can make them feel trusted. If you think about the common questions your support team receives and find ways to automate those answers or actions it can really help. When a customer can quickly manage their account or find a solution independently, they finish that task feeling capable and not frustrated.
Listen and Act On Feedback
Ultimately, to be empowered to be listened to. So, listening to what they have to say and showing them that their opinions can help with change is going to be a massive boon to your outreach. As such, it’s helpful to seek out feedback actively, which you could do through short surveys, customer interviews, or reading and responding to online comments.
You might begin this with a small section of your site or your newsletter that says, “You asked, and we delivered.” Then include some examples, as this is how you close the loop and show the impact of their suggestions, making the customer feel like an important partner in the development of your business!
With this advice, you’ll effectively empower your customers and no doubt benefit from the effort.
