Four ways to help your customers feel valued

In today’s world, customer loyalty can be difficult to attain but absolutely critical to the growth of your business. Some of the most successful companies in the world have the strongest bonds with their customers. Here are four ways your business can form stronger bonds with your customers or clients.

1. Use email to your advantage.
E-mail your customers to let them know how you can help them and add value to their lives. Try to make your customer outreach as personalized as possible. Sending a personalized message helps drive engagement. No one wants to feel like a number, especially during a global pandemic.

2. Make it easy to connect with you.
What is the best way for your customers to address an urgent concern? Do you offer an omnichannel customer service experience? Are the people handling your customer service friendly and helpful or rushed and impatient? Spelling out how and when customers can reach out to you is vital and providing a great experience once they do is key.

Speaking of connecting, there’s a large and growing demographic out there who prefers to communicate electronically. Are you providing satisfying and effective ways for those customers to reach out to you? Make it easy for all of your customers to reach out to you in whichever way they feel most comfortable.

3. Support your local community.
The pandemic has weighed heavily on the most vulnerable in our society, and consumers are eager to know how your business is helping the community. If you’re able to contribute, you might consider making a monetary donation to your local food bank, homeless shelter or social service organization. If your budget doesn’t allow for financial support, there are other ways to make an impact. For example, you could promote a charity on your social channels and/or volunteer your time. Customers are more socially conscious now more than ever, so any effort you make to help will likely be well received.

4. Listen to customer feedback.
Customers’ needs and wants have likely evolved over the last two years. And if your company isn’t providing what they need, they may well go elsewhere at their first opportunity. Surveys have shown that customers who haven’t been contacted or checked in on during the pandemic are significantly less satisfied than those who had a business touch base with them. Now, more than ever, it’s important to demonstrate your value and empathy when dealing with customers and potential customers.

Now’s a great time to survey your customers to see what you’re doing right and discover areas in which you might improve to enhance your company’s customer experience going forward.