How do you imagine a happy client? This can be a loyal customer who pays the bills on time or the one who fancies recommending your services to others. At Alcor, we believe that happy clients scream “WOW!”. This indicates not only a marvelous customer experience but also the smart work of the service provider. In this article, you’ll learn about the top 5 rules of delivering WOW service that is able to make your clients much happier and eventually level up your business.
Why make efforts to achieve WOW service?
Although in the B2B sector client-customer relationships are difficult to manage, business leaders need to pay enormous attention to it. The primary reason for this is revenue-generation possibilities. Research by Delloite demonstrated that client-oriented companies are 60% more profitable than enterprises that don’t put customers on top. Sounds persuasive, doesn’t it?
Needless to say that with WOW service, companies also enjoy the benefits of:
- Higher customer retention rate;
- Reducing costs on the attraction of new clients;
- Increasing customer revenue;
- Sales enhancement;
- Better upselling & cross-selling;
- Higher profits.
WOW service also creates added value that helps differentiate your company from competitors. Customers begin to appreciate you more, so they’re ready to advocate your brand in front of others. All of this significantly intensifies the brand positioning. Ultimately, top-notch service can be viewed as an outstanding advantage that facilitates your marketing efforts.
However, businesses need to attain excellent service not just because it impacts their finances. First and foremost, WOW service makes people happier, which is already a great mission. Secondly, it works as a motivator for your employees who work with clients on a daily basis. They feel appreciated and inspired to deliver the best service.
To make these benefits really work, executives must know what changes to implement in their strategies. Below are my five postulates of the WOW-effect service that you are welcome to use.
#1: Quality is not enough
Good service is delivering effective solutions on time. WOW service is doing it with care. For instance, we were looking for an office space in Kyiv to set up an offshore development center for a new client. Our service usually consists of a list of business centers according to the preferable criteria of the customer. But our account managers decided to go the extra mile. We knew that the client company was actively supporting sustainability and eco-friendly lifestyles, so we took care to check recycling opportunities of the available offices and included this information in the list. Consequently, the client was impressed and happy.
As can be seen, the secret of great customer care lies in a deep understanding of their needs. It often goes beyond reports, discounts, presentations, and requires strong communication skills. Learn to listen to your customers and develop empathy.
#2: People first
It is always people who make the difference, not corporate policies or rules. Your front-line managers must sincerely love their job and genuinely care about making your customers happy. A developed customer-focused mindset and good interpersonal skills are more likely to bring them to a “WOW” from customers rather than “always smile", “wishing you a nice day” memos on the office wall.
The same approach is applicable to customer relationships. With the abuse of business-like communication, you risk losing the connection, which leads to... no WOW-effect. For this reason, strive to be friendly in every word, express positive emotions, and care about your customers as individuals. A short message with congratulations on their birthday is a nice start!
#3: Cultivate trust
One of the biggest challenges is to establish trustworthy relationships with customers. It begins with the very first email and may tragically end with the smallest issue. To keep and maintain trust, take full responsibility for your actions and decisions. Be brave to admit mistakes and always stay transparent. Customers need to know the real situation and would highly appreciate your efforts to openly tackle the problem.
At our company, we never say “no” to our customers. We give options and do our best to find the solution, staying accountable for its results. In this way, customers feel safe, confident, and supported. We understand that it’s crucial for them to have a reliable service provider in an offshoring location that will properly set up operational processes for their software development. Our team aims to ensure the seamless experience of tech companies in Ukraine to let them stay focused on their software product, while we take care of everything else. Does it sound like “WOW”?
#4: Negative feedback is your gift
A report by E. Kolsky says that 91% of unhappy customers leave without complaints. Hence, any feedback is informative, be it positive or negative. They help you retain customers and illustrate your strong & weak sides, but most importantly, reveal the critical points of your service delivery. The moment you start appreciating negative feedback from your customers, you take the first step towards the WOW-effect.
Smart entrepreneurs always view disapproving feedback as an opportunity to address hidden issues and change for the better. Given that it takes time and effort for customers to write about their concerns, react in a timely and polite manner. Acknowledge the problem and take measures in order to restore the customer’s expectations vs reality balance.
#5: Stay flexible
The real power of distinguished account managers is flexibility because working with customers is not a 9-5 job. As long as your service agents know how to adjust to customers’ needs and deal with puzzling inquiries, they are superheroes. Sometimes they need to make important decisions quickly, change the rules, or find an unexpected solution. These trouble-shooting skills are prerequisites for creating the WOW-effect. There are dozens of cases when our team had to relocate IT specialists from neighboring countries, help with accommodations, manage customs clearance, fix Wi-Fi connections, arrange flower delivery, etc.
Don’t Count the WOWs. Make the WOWs Count
All in all, a happy customer is the fundamental goal of a service company that wants to become successful. To make it happen, stay on the same page with your customers and investigate their real needs. Build rapport, keep the connection, and take responsibility. It’s about the value you deliver, so don’t count the WOWs. Make the WOWs count!