August, 1 2019 3:29 pm
In an industry that increasingly focuses on speed and efficiency, customer service remains a struggle for many contact centers. Not only are consumers often left feeling ignored by call centers that focus too much on cranking out call volume over providing excellent service, but customer loyalty is often abandoned altogether.
Customer loyalty is still one of the most important aspects of building a successful brand, regardless of industry. That’s why it is so important for contact centers - no matter what companies they partner with - to focus on customer loyalty strategies to keep their brand’s best customer coming back.
What do customer retention and loyalty mean when you work in a contact center? Let’s look at the difference in that definition and the traditional sense of the term, as well as how to employ customer loyalty strategies in your facility successfully. You’ll be amazed at what your center stands to gain from happy, loyal customers!
Customer loyalty is defined as the act of choosing a company or business over another that offers equal products or services at comparable pricing. This is important, because this is something consumers do every day - whether they realize it or not.
Customer loyalty is critically important, because it impacts nearly every other metric of business success. Without consumers who love your products or services and prefer your approach to that of others in your industry, your business can’t hope to survive. That makes keeping loyal customers happy one of the most important things a business will ever do - and one of the top focal points for any company that wants to remain competitive.
Even if you’re seeing a massive uptick in the number of new customers your business is serving, it is always important to reward and retain loyal customers. Why? Think of your customer base like water in a dam. If there is a leak - through which dissatisfied customers are leaving for a competitor’s brand - then even if you are taking on new customers, you are still losing “water”. However, repairing that leak and retaining that “water” will create a trend that shows nothing but growth for your customer base - so much so that you’ll eventually need a bigger dam!
There is a marked difference in traditional customer loyalty and the sense of the term in the world of the contact center. That’s simply the nature of the industry, but it can make understanding the role of retaining customers for your partner companies and rewarding consumer loyalty difficult for your call center agents.
What does customer loyalty really mean to a call center? A loyal customer is a person who has been faithful to or benefited the company you partner with, and therefore should be treated with extra care and respect. Since most call centers are dealing with consumer questions, concerns, or complaints, these customers are already in a tender state and are often looking for help with a problem. This makes treating them with this additional degree of respect even more important.
The importance of customer loyalty strategies is not lost in the world of the contact center. Rather, it is of chief importance. This is because consumers who are already upset when calling are more likely to terminate their loyalty to a company or to end up with an unfavorable opinion of a brand than those who have otherwise had positive interactions with the company. Oftentimes, it is up to the interaction they have with the call center to return their regard for the company in question to a positive one - and to retain their loyalty to the brand, product, or services they were already faithful to before the issue arose.
If that sounds like a lot of pressure, you’re not wrong. Customer service geared toward loyalty is no small task! However, with a few key customer loyalty strategies in mind, your contact center can provide the kind of service that helps your partner businesses retain loyal consumers and continue to keep them happy.
So, what are some customer loyalty strategies that work for the contact center setting? How can you help your business partners retain their loyal customers - and keep them as your own?
It’s often as simple as providing great customer service. Using empathy statements is a good start. Speak to your callers with empathy about their dissatisfaction and listen actively on the phone to understand their complaints. Provide them with what feels like genuine concern and a sounding board for their problems; they will reward you with positive regard and consumer satisfaction.
It is also important to acknowledge loyal customers as such. When speaking to a loyal customer, be sure to tell them how much you appreciate them being part of your partner brand’s customer base. Many businesses have their own verbiage for this, so be sure to learn your company’s terminology. Whatever the preferred words are, congratulate and praise your caller for their loyalty and ensure them that their concerns are being handled as quickly an comprehensively as possible because of it.
When you’re ready to make a lasting impression with your callers and put these customer loyalty strategies to work for your center, call the industry experts at ChaseData. We have the tools and technology you need to create the kind of customer experiences that keep consumers happy with the brands you’re working for - and keep them from making the same calls time after time. It’s the epitome of customer loyalty in the world of the call center - and it’s exactly what we can help you achieve. Give us a call today to learn more!