With more competition out there than ever before, delivering exceptional customer service has never been crucial.  In addition, modern consumers have never had as much access to other’s opinions of your brand. Your past performance is out there for all the world to see – whether on review sites like Yelp, or via their contacts on Social Media.

For all these reasons and more, it’s never been more important to really impress your customers. Here we take a look at the best ways to delight, inspire, and wow every customer your brand connects with!

Set clear expectations

The old saying, “Under promise, over-deliver” holds true for a reason. You’re opening yourself to a world of complaints if you wildly overstate what your products or services can do for a customer.

On the other hand, if you’re open and transparent about the results your customers can expect, and then exceed those expectations, the customer comes away pleasantly surprised.

Keep doing that, and you’ll soon find you have dedicated and loyal customers eager to share the word with their friends, family, and business associates.

Have a little fun!

Dealing with customer complaints is rarely a joyful experience, so when the opportunity to have a little fun comes along, both you and your customers will appreciate it if you embrace it.

A great example comes from UK supermarket Sainsbury’s, who received an unusual letter from a customer’s three-year-old daughter, Lily. Lily had noticed that their so-called ‘Tiger Bread’ didn’t look much like a tiger at all, but more like the spots on a giraffe.

Sainsbury’s not only replied with a letter almost as cute as Lily’s, including a gift card, they actually went ahead and renamed the product to Giraffe Bread. Read the full story and see the letters here.

For everyday businesses, this is a great example of how customer support staff can take the initiative and make a client’s day – even if it’s just giving them a shoutout on social media for pointing out something useful or amusing.

Offer multiple contact channels

Everyone loves having options, and that includes the ways customers can get in touch with you for support or questions. This is especially true if your target audience includes a wide demographic with both older and younger customers.

Increasingly, consumers like to connect with brands in various ways – including through live chat, on social media, and through self-service options and knowledge databases.

If you only offer telephone and email support, a significant number of your customers might not be willing to make the time to contact you or wait for a response. And offering multiple contact channels isn’t just convenient for your customers, digitising your customer service can also generate more profit.

Speak to your customers’ pain points

Putting together tutorials and writing blogs to explain your products and services has long been considered good practice for modern brands. Unfortunately, a lot of businesses make one crucial mistake – they try and use their website content as a way to sell their service, rather than actually showing customers how they can solve the problem that brought them to your website in the first place.

Make sure you have a clear grasp of your customers’ Pain Points – the bigger issues that they’re looking for a solution to. Beauty products are a great example. Consumers aren’t actually looking for a product to address a single concern – like thin eyelashes, for instance – they’re looking for something that will help them feel more attractive and boost their self-confidence.

It’s important for your customer service agents to be aware of these pain points too, and know how to identify them when they’re dealing with a customer. By addressing the bigger picture, a representative can create a much deeper connection with a customer.

Find the balance between human and automated service

Living in today’s world has given all of us a taste for instant gratification. We expect to be able to find the information we need straight away, and we get impatient and even anxious when we can’t.

This is one of the reasons self-service options have become so popular. They give the customer a sense of empowerment – the knowledge that they can sort their problem out on their own, right now.

But what if they can’t? Finding the right balance between DIY help options for regular customers, as well as instant and easy contact options like live chat or instant messaging, is the perfect way to cover all your bases.

Remember the power of those small touches

Creating a memorable customer service experience doesn’t even need to take a huge amount of effort. Even a thoughtful handwritten note can go a long way – as the folks at Jimyz Automotive in Ohio discovered.

The owner of the business included a thank you card when returning the customer’s vehicle, complete with a handwritten and heartfelt message. The customer was so impressed they took to Reddit to spread the word, and this small car repair shop is still getting good press and free publicity to this day as a result!

Be a fountain of information

Finally, it’s important to remember that the journey doesn’t end once the customer has made a purchase with you. In many ways, it’s just beginning. One way to deliver stellar after-sales support is to make sure your website is packed with useful tips, advice, and information to help your customers get the most out of your product or service.

This isn’t just good for your SEO and brand image, it’s also an excellent way to promote customer loyalty. In addition, making your website the go-to resource for information on your niche helps to attract new customers too.

In conclusion

Make your customers’ experience with your brand special in the following ways:

• Be transparent about what customers can expect from your products, and then wow them by exceeding their expectations
• Don’t be afraid to do things a little differently and have fun with your customers
• Make it easy for your customers and prospects to reach you via the communication channel of their choice
• Be aware of customer pain points and aim to address them
• Small, thoughtful gestures can go a long way
• Make sure your website is a mine of useful information – both for existing and potential customers