The main secret of building strong customer relationships is proper communication. Moreover, this applies to both personal and professional spheres. In business, competent communication allows you to win loyalty , which brings repeated purchases and good reviews for word of mouth.

The opposite is also true - poor and illiterate communication leads to customer dissatisfaction, disappointment and falling sales . And in the age of social networks, reviews of disgruntled consumers are spread as “wildfire”, while crushing your reputation.

Regardless of the site where you communicate with customers, it should be done qualitatively. In this article, we will look at some simple ways to improve communication with customers .

1. "First impression" - the most important thing!

In 2017, 54% of customers changed their company due to poor service . In 2016, this figure was 49%. Therefore, if you want to retain customers, increase their loyalty and secure repeat purchases, you just need to pay attention to the service.

Customer satisfaction depends largely on the first impression . In order to respond to consumer requests in time, you will need to build certain business processes in the company.

Here are a few of them:

#one. Reduce waiting time

Whether talking about a telephone conversation or an e-mail, customer expectation should be minimal. It is known that the lack of speed of service is one of the main reasons for the disappointment in customer support.

You need to automate incoming calls to the company that sends the call to the first released support specialist and use the callback widget so that the client can receive a call from you within 30 seconds. You can optionally add a chat feature to your site to chat with two users at the same time.

Using tools such as callback and online chat on the site, you can reduce the client’s waiting time when you first contact your company.

# 2. Do not communicate by script

Your communication will be dry and impersonal if you use only pre-prepared phrases. Customers quickly understand if you are communicating "on a piece of paper." This causes irritation and leaves a negative impression. Therefore, make sure that support only uses live chat.

Here's what your specialists need to remember:

• Do not get up in a "protective pose . " Better show that you acknowledge the problem.
• Be sensitive . Customers need to see that they are understood. Solving a problem can take time, and they know it. But it is important for them that they be heard and understood the situation.
• Use positive words instead of negative ones . You can say "Sorry, this product is not available." But such a phrase lacks sympathy. It sounds aloof and negative. The same can be said differently: “In a couple of weeks this product will be available. Do you want us to inform you about this "?
• Do not use professional jargon . Use easy-to-understand words and phrases. You can remain a professional, but communicate at the same time as you would communicate with a friend.

2. Arm support with the right tools.

The right tools will make your support more efficient. For example, during the client's request, a specialist, having the necessary tools, can quickly find all the available information - the purchase history, the history of support calls, the problem solving history, etc.

Why is this important? Such information allows specialists to get a complete picture of the client's problem . Agree, when the buyer calls not the first time, he definitely does not want to describe everything anew.

In such cases, the presence on hand of the entire history of customer requests is very helpful and allows the specialist to provide accurate and accurate information. For example, this function can be implemented using chat integration with various CRM systems or customer support services.

Using the transfer of customer data in the chat for support, your specialist will receive a complete picture of the customer. This will make your company more effective in communicating with customers.

3. Aim for quality, not quantity

In a competitive environment it is very easy to go along with the generally accepted ideals of quality, which are measured by the speed of the decision. Sometimes teams of specialists are more focused on closing as many calls as possible in a short time.

Understand that a quick decision is not necessarily made through a short telephone conversation or chatting. This means a complete solution to the problem as soon as possible. 51% of consumers believe that they can be helped by phone, and then continue in the chat (23%).

Therefore, educate yourself a team that will help exactly , and not chase the numbers . Teach them to be effective aid allies for clients.

For customers, quality of service is much more important than speed. Especially if, for the sake of speed, support compromises quality.

4. Correctly complete communication with the client.

Completion is as important as the first impression. Very often, support is in a hurry to end a conversation faster to move on to the next question. This approach does not leave a good impression on the person who is currently on the line. Your haste may cost you a client.

So make sure your support ends the conversation with quality. You need to understand that in order for the client to be satisfied, it is worth spending additional time.

Here are some examples of how to end the conversation:

• Can I help you with anything else?
• Thank you for your time. Call us without hesitation as soon as you need help again.
• I will gladly send you a record of our communication in the chat, after the end of the conversation. Contact us as soon as you have questions or need help.

To end a conversation in the chat, you can set up several templates in the operator's application. Alternate different patterns at the conclusion of the dialogue. This will allow to close the dialogue qualitatively and effectively use the time of your employees.

5. Pay special attention to social networks.

It's no secret that social networks can be both a blessing and a curse for business. In a moment, negative reviews can spread like a virus and nothing can be done about it. The negative can gather like a snowball, which cannot be said about positive feedback.

Despite this, social networks are still an important platform for communication with customers. Through social networks, consumers not only get acquainted with your content, but also find answers to their troubling questions. 34% of users accessed through social networks for service issues. 47% recognized social networks as an effective tool for solving their issues.

Therefore, when it comes to communication in social networks, you need to handle them with extreme caution. There are situations when you will write angry customers. In some situations, the responsibility for their reaction will rest with you, and in others, you will be completely at fault.

Despite this, do not ignore such comments. You need to respond to all requests if you want to control the damage they cause. Try to respond as quickly as possible before a new wave of negative has formed. Any delay will only upset the client and give others a reason to add fuel to the fire.

Respond to complaints not from the standpoint of protection, but from the position of an attentive listener who sincerely wishes to help. Your goal is to respond in such a way as to reassure the client and direct the conversation in a calm direction.

Communication can be built by this example:

“We are very sorry that you have received such a negative experience. We are now thoroughly investigating this incident and will try to solve it in the near future. We will be glad if you write to us at abc@xxx.ru so that we can give you additional help. ”

Using various tools for working with messages in social networks, for example, integration with Vkontakte, you will be able to react to them in time, turning a negative opinion into a positive review.

Finally

We are so arranged that everyone needs sympathy and understanding. Keep this in mind, and your communication with customers will be smooth and efficient. And the above techniques will help you build long-term relationships.

Can you think of any other ways to improve communication? Share this in the comments.