When the product / service you are offering is similar to your competitors what do you do to stand out from the crowd? Very few of us have unique products and so we can differentiate ourselves through service or price.
In the current market conditions we often see companies differentiating themselves from their competitors by price – “You can’t get this service/product cheaper anywhere else”, “We’ll match any price.”
Whilst this will see a short term increase in sales, in most sectors it is a dangerous sales and business strategy and will only generate repeat custom for the short term. If your customers are attracted to you for price and you can no longer offer the cheaper service / product to them, they will go to somebody else who can. Using a reduction in price as your driving force for generating sales can cheapen the product/service you offer and sends a message about your business.
So what do you do to stand out from the crowd?
Customer service is often seen as what has to be done to complete a sale, but what if you generate a customer service experience that can help drive new sales rather than just completing existing ones?
The customer service experience you deliver shapes the reputation you have in the market place. If you have poor customer service your reputation spreads through word of mouth and can then act as the deciding factor when customers are making their final buying choices.
Developing a strong customer experience as part of your product / service within your organisation will give your employees a framework to deliver the product / service with defined standards. Yet very few really manage the customer experience in line with best practice, which is a great opportunity for those leaders who want to stand out.
When it comes to defining your customer experience framework, remember it isn’t your management team who are delivering the customer service but your front line employees – 90% of interactions happen away from the eyes and ears of management. Talk with your team to ensure you are defining a customer experience that will make a difference to your customers, not one you think sounds right.
There are three key aspects to any customer experience framework;
Inject your company personality into your experience framework, add those touches that the customer will know instantly are from your company, this will increase loyalty to your company as well as demonstrating the values you stand for.
For further information on developing a customer service framework for your business contact Innergy.
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