Improve customer retention through engagement

Despite the fact that there is so much information out there explaining the benefits of improving customer engagement, too often one still comes across a company lacking in their communications delivery. The reality of the situation is that by neglecting how your business engages with customers, you are losing clients, which means you’re losing profit.
“In today’s on-demand economy, consumers have an array of choice. If they do not get what they want in the manner they want it, they will find it elsewhere. Moreover, by improving customer engagement you not only retain them, but they become brand ambassadors for your business,” says Adrian Zanetti, MD of NEXT Solutions.
He explains: “The bottom line of improving customer engagement is to adapt every conversation to suit each individual and to provide them with real-time responses. We, at NEXT Solutions, have implemented certain communication strategies, which improved our own engagement delivery significantly.
“You already have access to everything you need to know about your clients,” states Zanetti. Conduct research to determine who exactly your clients are, what you can offer them to improve their lives as well as how they want to receive these offers. According to him, the better you can accommodate your service delivery, the less inclined your customers will be to find an alternative supplier.
The manner in which you approach your customers are also important. Refrain from listening to respond, instead listen to customers in order to understand and to find solutions. “By understanding what your clients are struggling with, you’ll be in an optimal position to market products, or even develop additional benefits that can assist them in their everyday lives,” says Zanetti.
Do not underestimate the power of alternative communication channels. “Apart from a well-trained call centre, we also communicate via online chat tools, apps and social media platforms – whichever method our clients prefer. These methods provide clients with the option to contact us at times that are convenient for them, not us,” Zanetti elaborates.
However, it’s imperative not to create more channels than what your business can effectively manage. Investigate which channels are best for your business, by, for instance, looking at your competitors. Social media is an exceptional communication tool, but you need to ensure that customers always receive top-quality engagement. An added benefit of social media is that you can use it to conduct more research into what your clients are looking for and how they react to your services.
“Contact centre agents must understand that when they speak to clients via social media, telephone, email or online chat tools, there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all solution. Their focus also needs to shift away from being sales driven, and more to the person on the other end of the conversation,” advises Zanetti. Although this change might mean that they won’t make the sale, in the long run by not backing your customers into a corner and instead treating their needs, they’ll be more inclined to stay loyal to your business.
Assisting consumers in an efficient manner should be one of the pillars a contact centre is built on; however, each individual client deserves and demands an agent’s full attention. In addition, it’s important to remember that all queries, regardless of the channel, should be handled as soon and effectively as possible – leaving concerns unattended is a sure-fire way to lose customer loyalty.
“One of the biggest mistakes businesses can make in this day and age, is to not invest in developing customer engagement; either by expanding their own structures or looking to market experts.”