Politics and Business

How Business Can Stop Wasting Customers’ Time

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Patience is a virtue. 

But, while it is a skill you can practice and improve for yourself, it isn’t something you should expect from others in the business world. Ideally, being able to deliver work or goods on time is the minimum requirement to meet your customers’ expectations. Your customers are not patient, and many have no intention of becoming it. Where does their impatience come from? Customers experience instant gratification immediately after their purchase, even if they haven’t received their orders yet. From a psychological perspective, they feel a sense of ownership as soon as the online transaction is complete, which gives them a boost of happiness. However, the longer it takes for a company to deliver the order or fix any issue that prevents customers from using the item, the more the company is perceived as a pleasure-inhibitor. If you can’t fulfill your customers’ expectations on time, you become the main obstacle that stands between them and the gratifying purchase. Consequently, asking a customer to wait could become a costly mistake! 

No more pointless cold calls

Existing leads or previous customers welcome relevant offers from your business. What they don’t want, however, is to receive unexpected cold marketing communication. Calling an existing customer to introduce a new product that doesn’t meet their needs is unlikely to generate sales. If you’re going to become the company that can solve customers’ problems with innovative solutions, you need to assess their interests and needs BEFORE you approach them with a sales proposal. In marketing terms, the assessment stage occurs through application funnels, which are informative content pieces that let you track people’s interest. For instance, a company that sells a software solution will be more successful in converting leads if they get in touch with people who read the blog and watch their video tutorials. Calling a list of contacts that have not had any opportunities to get to know your solutions will prove frustrating to the company and the customers. 

Outsource to experts to help them

Customers expect a company to be available at all times to answer their queries in today’s digital age. Unfortunately, small teams can’t afford to tackle customers’ queries outside working hours. Outsourcing necessary services can not only save your team time but also ensures customers don’t have to wait until the next day to talk to someone. It can be a strategic customer service approach to tackle product troubleshooting, complaints, queries, and orders in real-time. Virtual assistants, customer call centers, and product experts can make a significant difference in your interactions with customers. 

Don’t let them guessing: Inform them

Customers get impatient when they don’t know what is happening with their products or queries. Most customers expect rapid resolution for their problems. But when a quick solution isn’t an option, they need to be kept in the loop to know that things are progressing. Companies that fail to use a variety of communication methods to reach their customers tend to face criticism. Social media channels, newsletters, blog articles, and press releases are some of the most popular communication channels. Spreading your communication across multiple channels can ensure customers don’t lose patience. 

Your customers’ time is precious. It’s in the interest of the company to save your customers time in every business interaction, whether you’re making a sales proposal or recording a complaint. Customers who receive prompt responses feel valued and respected by the company. Patience, ultimately, is the result of knowing that your needs are understood. 

 

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