See the way your customers do

For any business to run successfully, it has to know what its potential customers want. A business builds its products and tailors its services based on its customers’ needs. Sounds like a simple enough task… right?

The reality check lies waiting when you actually get down to the task and try to understand what your customer wants. Most brands have a notion of what their customer wants or how they think. That notion can be far from what the customer actually wants. This difference can affect the product that they build, and they may end up with a product their customers don’t need.  

Besides just building products that your customers want, you’ll have to understand your customer’s perspective to deliver memorable customer experiences.

Why it’s important for your agents:

As an agent, when you see a customer face-to-face, and they tell you their problem, it paints a clear picture of what the customer is going through. You gauge their state of mind, see what actions they make, and observe their manners. This information lets you correct course as necessary to ensure that the interaction goes smoothly.  

However, when you interact over email or over the phone, you’re limited to just the tone of their voice or the message they send. In such cases, the only way you’ll know how to proceed smoothly is to put yourself in the customer’s shoes. Simple affirmation of their emotions, empathy and listening intently are crucial.

A few reasons for agents to see things from the customer’s angle are:

It makes them better at what they do.

Once an agent starts seeing things from the customer’s point of view, they remove themselves from the product. They see the product objectively, with all its flaws, without the inherent bias that an employee may have.

It quite simply makes their day.

When you want to deliver great customer experiences, you have to go beyond just solving their problems. You could resolve issues with technical acumen of the highest order, but if it’s robotic, it won’t be a memorable one.  

Put effort into solving their problems in a way that will brighten their mood. If you want to leave them happier than they were before they talked to you, empathy is key to understanding what makes them happy.

Why it’s important for brands:

Brand image at stake: 

In a time where great products are commonplace, great customer experiences play a decisive role in a brand’s success. Companies cannot afford to simply satisfy their customers and move on. Instead, they try to get ahead of their competition by exceeding their expectations at every turn.  

The brands that prioritize customer experience see the rewards of that decision in revenue. When 3 out of 4 customers choose not to do business because of a poor service experience, things fall into perspective.

You either understand what kind of an experience the customer wants and you give it to them, or they’ll find another brand that will.

It’s better for business:

It takes great products to get customers, but it takes great service to keep them with you. When you empathize with your customers, you build a rapport. The personal connection that you build over time grows into loyalty which will make them want to stick with you, even if they find better products.

Most customers have a go-to brand when they think about a certain service or a product.

For some people, that became their go-to brand because it’s reliable. The others stuck to a brand because they had great experiences with that brand as a customer. So as a rule of thumb, when helping customers with their issues, it’s useful to remember: Customers don’t remember answers. They remember experiences.  

In a bustling business ecosphere where brands use discounts to keep customers happy, it’s easy to forget that empathy is free. Customers want to be understood and appreciate the brands that try to understand them. Add a touch of empathy and perspective to your customer service and you have the secret to being a brand your customers cherish.