7 Ways To Show Your Customers You Care

Every customer is different. If you are in the habit of creating buyer persona reports, you’ve probably noticed that there is an infinite number of micro-audiences you could target, from all ages, social backgrounds, education levels, and locations. From a business perspective, reaching out to every single one of these customers is a challenge of every day. Your communication strategy needs to be on the one hand, big enough to manage all the options, and, on the other hand, small to suit each persona. 

However, it would be unfair to presume that nothing brings your customers together. Indeed, they have found and chosen you for the specific products or services you offer. They are united by their needs and demands, which you address through your offering. But, more importantly, what every customer of every company wants is to feel cared for. It can be tricky to show your customers you care without crossing business boundaries or sounding fake – regardless of how authentic you are, your audience tends to be cynical about public display of appreciation for the customers. There are, thankfully, seven tips you can employ to care and appear genuine in the process. 

#1. Listen to them 

Your customers are not shy about sharing their opinions. Whether they open up about their experience with your brand or their expectations for the market, keeping them close and interested is all about knowing how to listen to them. The business is an environment buzzing with activities, trends, and competition. It’s never easy to figure out what is relevant when every day brings something new. Your customers, however, offer an in-depth insight into your position on the market. They know you, and by listening to what they like or dislike, what they want or what they would prefer to avoid, you can learn a lot about yourself as a brand. Every business should make the time to sit and listen to their customers. It’s the fastest way to let them know how much you value their input. 

#2. Choose your free gift wisely

Ah, free gifts! Who doesn’t like freebies? You have to remember, though, that your customers are savvy buyers. You’re unlikely to win them over with a free biro or a sticker with your logo on it. If your business has made the decision to invest in marketing gifts, it is absolutely essential that you take the time to pick a quality item that will be meaningful and valuable to your customers. You need to remember that you’re not the only company offering promotional and corporate items. In other words, if you don’t want to appear like someone who opened a catalog and picked the first cheap product on the list, you need to be thoughtful about your choice. That’s why business gift professionals such as Dynamic Gift tend to provide a variety of items so that you can tailor your gift to a specific situation– such as providing filled drink bottles on a trade show or distributing headwears for an outdoors sport event, for instance. 

#3. Don’t ignore their comments

Social media is the preferred platform for tech-savvy customers to interact with their preferred brands. Whether something is missing from their order, or they have a question about your latest offer, online users turn to social media platforms to get in touch with businesses. They do it, firstly because it ‘s public space and they can. But more importantly, they also rely on the typical social media rule, which is real-time interactions. Your customers expect you to answer within 60 minutes. Businesses that fail to reply are likely to suffer from negative backlash, as the customer shares their experience with friends and relatives. 

#4. Make it easy for them to manage their orders

Your customers choose online shopping because it is more convenient to click to buy than to go to a shop. However, they expect the convenience to be part of their whole shopping experience with your brand. If you make it hard for them to receive their parcel – through long delivery time or unclear delivery schedules – they are unlikely to put their trust in you for their next purchase. Additionally, customers want to be confident that they can smoothly return the order if the received items are not as expected. Companies such as ShipStation have dedicated their professional efforts to give customers control of their orders. They can choose what to return and when in a few clicks. 

#5. Be the first to wish them a happy birthday 

Put yourself in your customers’ shoes. Wouldn’t you want your favorite brand to remember your birthday? Birthday marketing is especially effective because it approaches your customers on a day where they are more likely to spend money with you. If you’ve been around the marketing block a few times, you are probably familiar with the most common activities, such as a personalized birthday email. But did you know you could do a lot more? You can target your followers on social media and even share a birthday wish online – it shows you’ve put effort into creating something for them. 

#6. Don’t be afraid to say it when you got it wrong

You didn’t mean to, but something went wrong, and it impacts your customers. Admitting your fault as a business is never easy, but from your customers’ perspective, it’s an indication that you value them. Take ownership as soon as you can. If your company made a mistake, go public with an apology and a solution as it’s an effective way of winning angry customers back. 

#7. Take the time to chat with them

While most customers like to browse your site and order when they feel ready, some still take the time to call and ask questions. At an age where digital communications are the norm, a call is all about reassurance. If a customer skips online booking, for instance, take the time to have a chat with them on the phone and let them express their fears or worries. 

Caring in the business world is both essential and challenging to express adequately. In an age when customers have become cynical, you need to be creative and attentive to grow into their business of choice.