Customer Loyalty Newsletter - Sept 2019

CUSTOMER LOYALTY | SEPT 2019 | ISSUE 35

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8 Communication Tips for B2B Service Organizations -An Article by Lynn Daniel

Over the last several years, I’ve seen an increasing num- ber of B2B service organizations buy into the idea that communication, a soft skill, is an essential ingredient in delivering exceptional customer experiences and in turn, hard business results such as repeat business and word of mouth referrals. I think they are on the right track. We have analyzed over 200,000 B2B customer follow-up interviews we have performed on service experiences, and found communication is on a very short list of critical cus- tomer loyalty drivers. Moreover, we also see evidence that if the communication with a customer is effective then they will give you the benefit of any doubt if other aspects of the experience are not up-to-par!

So, communication matters. Now, what? That is a common question I hear from service managers and customer experience managers. The list below is an attempt to help answer that question using a manageable number of simple points, to help make excellent communication a habit, as opposed to a one-off training event. Communication Principles There are communication axioms that we have all heard and are essential to keeping more customers. Some of the most important are: 1. Put yourself in the customer’s shoes. If you were in the customer’s situation what communication would you wish to receive from a provider? 2. Return all communications from a customer promptly, usually within 24 hours. This means phone calls, text messages, emails, etc. 3. Under-promise and over-deliver.

4. When in doubt, communicate more frequently, not less. 5. When in doubt, communicate more detail, not less. Communication Process Steps

While standard communication principles are often understood (if not always followed) what is less well under- stood is the process of communicating with a customer. Consider for example the core process elements:

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