How to Make Customer Happiness a Top Priority

How do you make customer happiness your top priority as a brand? If you’ve been in business for a minute, then you know that keeping every customer enthralled isn’t always possible. However, in a world with increasing competition, customer experience (CX) is the one factor allowing small companies to differentiate themselves.

Brightback’s 2020 State of the Industry Report showed 93% of respondents felt customer retention was as essential as acquisition. One way to preserve the customers you have is by keeping them content. You should consider many factors in maintaining your current list of users, such as pricing, customer service and company culture.

Many things go into customer happiness. Some are out of your control, but there are aspects you have direct influence over. Increase the satisfaction of your current clients in the following seven ways.

1. Measure Customer Happiness

It’s impossible to know whether or not your current methods work unless you measure customer happiness. One obvious way of tracking satisfaction rates is by polling your existing customers or sending them questionnaires. However, not everyone will take the time to fill out a form. Do spend time talking to your top buyers so that you know what they like and dislike about your business.

You can also pull your internal data and pay attention to repeat orders. If customers come back again and again, they are happy with your work. Consider any complaint emails or phone calls you’ve received. Why were those people unhappy, and how can you fix it to increase overall enjoyment? Finally, take a look at social media. Search for your name and any online gripes about your products or services. Reach out to those people and ask how you can improve.

2. Instill Loyalty in Customers

More than two-thirds of people wouldn’t care if most brands went away. Is your business one that people aren’t that loyal to? If so, then you need to work on your image. Figure out why people love the companies they adore and how you can repeat their success. How invested are those businesses in the customer? Do they put the consumer’s needs first? Why would shoppers want to remain loyal to you? You must give them solid reasons.

Start by establishing yourself as an authority in your field. When people think about what you offer, you want your firm to be the first that comes to mind. Become the most knowledgeable brand with the best customer service and the top quality. Once you gain a customer, stay in touch but don’t overdo it to the point of irritating them. Offer loyalty rewards, give discounts for those who refer you to others and send gifts for no real reason.

3. Define Customer Satisfaction

How does your brand define customer happiness? You might be surprised to learn that your definition of satisfied isn’t the same as the customer’s. When you refine your CX strategy, it’s essential to ensure shopper happiness tops the list. It doesn’t matter if you think the person should be content if they are not.

Spend time crafting what level of service is a minimum and then train your employees to go beyond that. You can find numerous examples of companies going out of their way to create customer happiness. Reward employees who go out of their way to help someone find joy in your product. Plus, give workers the freedom to come up with creative solutions.

4. Invest in CRM Software

Customer relationship management (CRM) software helps you keep up with the needs of your customers. Rather than humans keeping up with birthdays, a machine sends a message when the date arrives. CRM software also tracks past ordering behaviors. You can then use the data generated to reach out to clients with suggestions for similar products. Alternatively, set up the system so that it reminds people when it’s time to reorder.

Customer happiness often equates to feeling heard and cared about. If you reach out before the client runs out of something or you send personal messages, clients will feel heard. Wish them a happy birthday or send a small gift when they have their first child.

5. Use Ticket Tagging

If you offer a service, ticket tagging can help you track down repetitive issues and fix them before they occur. Keep customer happiness high by avoiding problems in the first place. For example, tag outages by location and consider which equipment needs upgrading at your facilities to prevent future downtime.

Ticket tagging also lets your tech support see which areas need the most help at a given time. They can reach out to customers to ensure they solve the problem quickly. Tech support can pull up tags of past solutions and save time in the process.

6. Add Self-Service Options

In a survey by mobile device firm SOTI, researchers gathered information from 526 shoppers. They discovered 73%  preferred self-service technology over human contact. It’s hard to keep customers happy if they’re waiting to speak to a live agent or retail checker. Instead, give them automated options so that they can handle minor tasks on their own. Not only is self-service efficient, but people can do it on their own time instead of waiting for open hours.

Younger people also prefer to use non-human contact to complete tasks. You’ve likely noticed that Baby Boomers go to the service counter at a bank to talk to a real person. Millennials and younger head for automated ATMs nearly every time.

7. Send the Right Message

Excellent customer service means you let your clients know you put their needs first. You can make mistakes as long as they know you’re trying your best. Work on a solution anytime a problem arises and then update your clientele that you’ve fixed the issue. When you create a customer-centered company, it shows in everything you do.

Not only should you say the right things, but your actions speak loudly about your company’s philosophy on customer happiness. Start each policy from the viewpoint of your user and how it impacts them.

Become a Pioneer and Make Customers Happy

When you focus on the customer, you’re able to come up with more creative solutions. Customer happiness tops the list of your priorities and leads you to try things that may or may not work. Keep the products and activities that result in positive reviews and replace the ones that don’t. Plus, strive to improve your retention scores each quarter.

Truly successful businesses keep the customers they have and sell more to them over time. These loyal fans will then send referrals your way, enabling your business’s growth.