“If you don’t take care of your customer, your competitor will.” – Bob Hooey

“Customer is King”. You’ve likely heard this saying time and again, but what does it actually mean?

It is much more than saying “The customer is always right”. At its core, it means that the success or failure of your (or any) business relies on the overall satisfaction or whim of the customer. They can hire or fire you in a heartbeat, simply by returning to your business or taking their business elsewhere, or, even more powerfully, by telling other people about their positive or negative experience with your brand.

Whatever the customer’s perception of your business or brand may be, THAT is their reality. And THAT is what they will convey to others.

Why Customer is King

1. Customers, and they alone, are what keep your business alive and make or break your brand. Satisfying (and better yet, exceeding the expectations of) just one customer can have a positive flow-on effect as positive reviews and word-of-mouth both shape and modify consumer perceptions.
2. It is your brand that must adjust – your customer will simply go elsewhere if you are not meeting their needs to their satisfaction.
3. Without customers, there is no brand development. There is no business! A product or service only has its place if consumers buy it – and you must create adequate, ongoing demand for it.
4. Your business exists to improve the life of your target customers in some tangible way. Neglecting the needs of the customer is akin to neglecting your income source.
5. Customers now influence the market like never before – and it’s far easier to keep existing customers happy and engaged than it is to attract new ones. Their power to destroy you with negative reviews and social commentary can be devastating. Negativity and complaints against your brand can quickly become a deluge on the internet.
6. A remarkable number of companies fail to engage with and listen to their customers. Your brand will win or lose based on how well you satisfy your customer. From positive lead generation to negative word-of-mouth (which has never been more powerful than in today’s social media-driven world), customers can make or break your brand or business remarkably quickly.

There are numerous ways to satisfy your customer’s needs but, above all, exceptional customer service is the key to your brand’s ongoing success.

No matter whether you run an online store, are a brick-and-mortar retailer, or operate a restaurant or medical facility – and everything in between – the customer is always king and your customer service delivery must be beyond reproach.

The Importance of Great Customer Service

“Customer service should not be a department. It should be the entire company.” – Tony Hsieh

You might spend a fortune on advertising and marketing to showcase your brand and product offering, but poor customer service is the top cause of consumer dissatisfaction. While the right marketing approach is a crucial piece of the pie, you can’t afford to ignore the customer service aspect of your marketing strategy.

Here’s why:

• Customers who enjoy seamless customer service interactions are 94% more likely to repurchase and 88% more likely to spend more with the brand in future.[1]

• 56% of consumers state they would be willing to pay premium prices for outstanding customer support.[2]

• 69% of customers have stopped interacting with a brand due to a negative customer service experience[3] and 61% have written a negative review following a poor customer service experience.[4]

• High-effort issue resolutions result in customers being 96% more likely to abandon brand loyalty and 81% more inclined to share negative word-of-mouth.[5]

• 47% of customers believe a brand is at its best on social media when offering good customer service.[6]

• 69% of global consumers prefer brands that proactively offer services and notifications.[7]

“A strong customer service culture cannot be copied” – Jerry Fritz

What Customers Expect:

• Transparency and integrity from the brands they patronise.
• Fast, stress-free resolutions.
• Prompt call-centre wait times.
• Same-day customer service responses.
• Companies to demonstrate that they value their client/customer’s time.
• Personalised customer experiences and service interactions.
• A brand’s customer service delivery that matches the brand image.
• To hear more from their preferred brands via email, social, mobile, and Paid marketing.
• To be able to use mobile phones and mobile shopping apps to complete the purchase journey.
• For brands to resolve issues over the customer’s preferred channel (email, live chat, social media (Facebook Messenger), WhatsApp, SMS, etc)

What You Need To Deliver:

• The best possible value for money
• Simple, effective solutions
• Careful curation of all marketing and advertising campaigns
• Commitment to excellence
• Brand consistency across all channels
• Engagement and conversation as opposed to hard selling
• Exceptional attention to detail
• Demonstrable interest in the customer’s opinion
• Prompt, calm resolutions to the customer’s satisfaction
• Accessibility across the channels your customer prefers

Book A Digital Strategy Session at Dot-to-Dot

Dot-to-Dot Digital is a full-service digital marketing working with clients throughout Australia. We are an energetic, dynamic team offering a flexible and progressive approach to all aspects of your digital strategy. From email marketing to social media and everything in between, we can help you implement much of what your customer expects and deserves – including solutions to improve your customer service delivery.

Discover how we can help you! Book a digital strategy session now – we look forward to meeting you!

[1] https://www.freshworks.com/freshdesk/customer-interaction/

[2] https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/one-year-into-the-pandemic-new-survey-finds-people-have-less-tolerance-for-slow-customer-service-nearly-50-of-respondents-believe-unusually-high-call-volume-recordings-could-be-or-definitely-is-a-lie-301250777.html

[3] https://pages.arenacx.com/customer-service-during-covid-19-consumer-survey-results

[4] https://pages.arenacx.com/customer-service-during-covid-19-consumer-survey-results

[5] https://www.gartner.com/en/customer-service-support/insights/effortless-experience

[6] https://sproutsocial.com/insights/index/#stand-out

[7] https://www.freshworks.com/customer-engagement/the-future-of-customer-engagement/