Customer service is one of the cornerstones of any successful business, and one way to improve everything from your products to brand loyalty is to get to know your customers better. A lot of brands assume they know their customers or – even worse – that they can dictate what their customers want. That’s a mistake. Any assumptions you make will not contribute to a smart business strategy. Your customers evolve over time and so will their needs. Something that worked this year may not necessarily be successful in the next.
89% of consumers want companies to ask them for input
SOURCE: Microsoft
Getting a solid understanding of your customers and their motivations can be challenging. The good news is that your customers want to share. According to Microsoft’s 2020 State of Global Customer Service Report, 89% of consumers want companies to ask them for input. And there are more tools than ever to have that critical ongoing conversation with your customers. When you do, you’re only making your business better.
Here are some of the best ways to get to know your customers and reward them at the same time.
1. Surveys and questionnaires
Surveys are one of the best ways to get honest feedback about your business. Hearing directly from customers can really help you understand how they feel about your product or service. Or you might choose to design a questionnaire centered on the customers themselves to better understand who they are. Forbes magazine agrees, “In a real connection, you know something about the person you’re talking to. Surveys can help companies achieve that.” All the information you gather can be used to better meet your customers’ needs.
Some suggested questions:
- How did you hear about us?
- Which of our products or services is most important to you?
- How often do you shop for our products or services?
- How satisfied are you with our service?
In order to get the best possible response rate, make sure to ask as few questions as possible. It’s also recommended that one of those questions is left open-ended for honest feedback.
If customers visit your business in person, QR codes make it easier than ever to send people to a survey from a receipt. Rather than making a customer manually type a URL, they can just scan the code. QR codes can also be used online or you can simply link to a survey in your social media, emails, or blogs.
There are several software tools today to help you create and send surveys such as SurveyMonkey, Typeform, and JotForm. Remember – a survey is only useful if you analyze the results and take action with what you learn.
2. Loyalty programs
Loyalty programs can both reward long-time customers as well as encourage loyalty in new ones.
Loyalty programs can be as simple as punch cards that result in a free product or service after a certain number of visits. Or customers can scan QR codes on their paper or digital receipts.
71% of consumers say loyalty programs are a meaningful part of their brand relationships
SOURCE: Forbes
There are also tiered loyalty systems like those from Sephora or Starbucks that depend on how much your customers buy either in store or online. Rewards include free products, deep discounts, and exclusive offers and events. For those small businesses without a physical location, owners can use third-party loyalty apps that work with your website or Shopify.
Free trials and loyalty programs can also help you stay connected with your customers. According to Forbes, 71% of consumers say loyalty programs are a meaningful part of their brand relationships. An email address is generally needed to sign up and you can even encourage customers to fill out a profile so you can get to know them better.
To help you decide when it would be beneficial to launch a loyalty program, Meraki Go’s Guest Insights can help you discover how many people are returning to your business.
3. Host a giveaway
In order to show appreciation to your customers, sometimes it’s fun to host a giveaway. This could be coordinated with reaching a milestone, such as 10,000 followers on social media.
Let them know how much you appreciate their loyalty by giving away:
- One of your most popular products or services
- Bag or box of branded swag
The giveaway could be to the first 25 people who are customers at your brick-and-mortar store on a certain date. Or maybe it’s to the first 25 people who respond to a question you pose on social media. QR codes – which can be scanned off of receipts, websites, or social media – are yet another way to enter.
The giveaway could also act as incentive for anyone who returns your survey (mentioned above).
4. Talk to your customers
64% of customers said they appreciate brands that ask for their opinions
SOURCE: Khoros
Sounds simple, right? Even if your business is online and you can’t interact with customers face-to-face, you can still spark genuine conversations. In fact, 20% of people will even DM a brand to have a deeper discussion in private. In addition, 21% of consumers will use social media to report their concerns. As we discussed in our blog on customer service, it’s important to promptly respond to questions and comments no matter where you receive them.
If your business has a physical location, take time for more in-depth conversations there. Find out what your customers do for a living or what they like to do for fun. This all helps you better visualize your customers and craft an effective marketing strategy.
And finally…
5. Thank your customers
One of the things that non-profit organizations do very well is say “thank you.” A lot. End of the calendar year. End of the fiscal year. And several times in between. Everyone likes to feel appreciated. It’s also important that every communication your customers receive from your business isn’t a sales promotion. Your best customers deserve to know that they’re a part of your success and celebrated for it.
One of the benefits of being a small business is that you can have more of a personal touch. You may already have a relationship with customers who regularly stop by your business, whether in person or virtually. The tools available today also give you plenty of opportunities for personalization.
Thank yous can be yet another way to get to know your customers, too. If you send an email, for example, end by asking how to make your product or services even better for them. According to a 2021 survey from Khoros, 64% of customers said they appreciate brands that ask for their opinions. Offer a discount code for that feedback, which only adds to the appreciation you’re already showing.
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Understanding and appreciating your customers has become so important that there’s now a social media holiday dedicated to it – #GetToKnowYourCustomersDay. It recurs on the third Thursday of each quarter – January, April, July, and October. The “holiday” acts as a gentle reminder to shift your attention away from your day-to-day operations and turn it toward your customers. However, the real reminder is to make sure your customers feel that appreciation every single day.
