The Secret to a Happy Customer – to Improve Customer Retention

Once upon a time, customers went to a business and bought what they needed. The end. 

If a business had what the customer wanted to purchase, the story was over. Not much else happened throughout their buying journey. But now, the tables have turned, and you have to adjust your business approach accordingly. 

It is now the customer’s time to shine. They have the information (and the power that information holds) at the tips of their fingers. With that in mind, are you keeping customers satisfied? 

Happy customers are the key that unlocks business success. Today, we are going to tell you all about how to find that key. 

What is the Secret to Happiness?

And now we come to the age-old question: “What is the secret to happiness?” 

If you are a business owner or in marketing, customer happiness is what you’re really after when you ask that question. 

You know that thing people used to say: “Happy wife, happy life”? 

Well, just like that phrase expired, so too did the idea that there is one simple solution to get happy customers. The secret to happy consumers has become a non-secret, of sorts. That is, you cannot buy a magic potion to bring them your way. It is not a one-and-done situation to transform your existing, dissatisfied customers into them. 

But there is another secret we will let you in on. To get those happy customers right where you want them (as loyal, long-term buyers for your business), you need to provide a top-of-the-line customer experience. 

You can align your salespeople with the tactics you learn to elevate their level of customer service.

But what about those tactics? How do you learn them yourself? 

That’s the easy part: we have all the tips, tricks, and advice you could ever need to cultivate a core of happy customers. Keep reading for more. 

Why Happy Customers Are Important?

Like we said before, customers expect a different level of care. They want relationships with the companies they do business with. 

So we may have moved a bit past the era of “the customer is always right,” but we moved towards the era of “the customer always matters.” And they matter above pretty much all else. 

That brings us right into why happy customers are so important. 

You know already that acquiring a new customer can be five times more expensive than retaining a current one. If you prioritize an improved customer experience to make your customers happy, their natural reaction is to want to keep buying from you. 

It is more than instant-gratification techniques like a discount once a year or a brief apology when you err. You need to take seven steps in particular. (And keep taking them!)

Later, we also have seven phrases to get in the habit of using. Follow our advice and you will have plenty of added value that will drive your organizational success in the direction you want it to go. 

How Do You Make Your Customers Happy?

You and your whole team should be on the same page as to how you can generate happy customers. 

Let’s get right into these seven simple steps. Practice them consistently. You will make happy customers if you apply these techniques before and after their purchasing decision. 

Provide an Excellent Customer Experience

Seems obvious, right? Unfortunately, providing a great client experience is not such a simple task for all companies. 

You probably already have a customer service department for your business. And since you already have customers, you are bound to have issues pop up every once in a while. With customers come problems to solve. 

How do you solve them? How long does it take your team to solve them? That’s when you have to put your money where your mouth is. 

Step one is making sure you solve customer issues with speed, efficiency and a smile on your face. Happy customers do not tend to mind when a problem comes up. But they may not be so happy when they feel as though you are not there to support them through it all. 

Offer a Loyalty Program

You want value through happy customers. At the same time, customers want you to provide value for them. They do not want to feel like you are the only ones getting a benefit from your working relationship. 

You boost customer benefits when you optimize a loyalty program for them. They have a reason to engage and look forward to doing business with you. Then, both parties can grow together. 

Maybe you already have a loyalty program. If so, consider gamifying the experience. Time and again, we see companies that use gamification. And time and again, those are the companies that succeed in customer engagement and long-term growth.  

Deliver Before Time

We talked about delivering an excellent customer experience with your service team. Do you remember us asking you how long it takes your team to respond to customer requests? 

That comes into play again here. You cannot generate happy customers if you spend too long getting back to them. But that does not mean your customer service rep or salesperson is always at fault when it takes a while. After all, they do have a lot to handle. 

Be proactive to deliver before time, not just on time. 

Work right now to pinpoint the most popular user issues from your service tickets. Fix them right away. Then, think about rollouts you can implement here and now to avoid the same problems in the future. Your team can turn their attention to time-sensitive issues. 

For later on, consider an onboarding program. It can teach your customers all about your products or services once they buy and guide them through those common roadblocks as they come across them. 

Automate Customer Support

We all love a good chat every once in a while. But for happy customers, they do not want to spend their days chatting with a customer success rep over and over again. 

The less time customers have to spend talking to them, the better. 

So why not take advantage of self-service support? Your customer support team may not be available day and night to answer inquiries. This automated resource takes that into account, too. 

You are far more likely to grow happy customers when they have not already memorized your on-hold elevator music. Automatic customer-support extensions mean less time for your customers to wait on hold and more time for your team to focus on big-ticket items. Chatbots and customer-troubleshooting tools are just some of the automation you can use. 

Level Up Your Communication System

Your customer base does not want to have to install a new app just to communicate with your brand. Why should they? 

You should engage with your customers through the communication channel they already use. It’s convenient, comfortable, and clears the air of any miscommunication. 

This omnichannel system doesn’t have to add more stress on your end, either. 

There are tools out there that link different platforms together. 

Align Your Marketing and Sales Teams

Alignment and adjustment aren’t just for the chiropractor’s office anymore. In sales especially, you have to align your marketing and sales teams for an integrated customer experience. You won’t find happy customers hanging around a business with sloppy internal communication.

Let all your client-facing departments sync up and understand each other’s various goals. They are your internal customers, your cornerstone to success. 

And once they have a feel for each other’s responsibilities, they can work together for a common goal. We’re pretty confident at this point that you know what this common goal is: customer happiness.   

Conduct Tests and Adjust

You need to conduct tests to measure success for every aspect of your company. And it is no different here. 

Make sure whatever new programs you implement are measurable. And don’t leave it there. Measure them regularly and adjust where you see room for improvement. 

Customer-Service Phrases to Make Your Customers Happy

We realize that a lot of those prior steps are ones that you have to take on solo. Of course, you expect that as an entrepreneur. 

But on a more basic level, you can have your more entry-level employees step in. You and your team members should start saying some specific phrases. These may seem minute, but they are small-scale tweaks that bring you to large-scale changes with your number of happy customers. 

“I would be delighted to help”

“Delight.” We like that word, you like that word. Above all else, your customers like that word, too. 

“I would be delighted to help” implies that you can help. But it also tells them that you will enjoy spending time with them to find answers the whole time. 

Sure, the modern buyer is more evolved than they once were. Throughout time, though, customers have always valued politeness. 

“Thank you for your patience”

Thanking your customers for their patience is a classic phrase, and it will remain classic for years to come. 

Social media and the digital age have given consumers time to get used to not having to spend their time waiting. With the information they need often just a Google search away, who can blame them? 

You need to get back to them in a timely manner. But sometimes, you run into customers who still think that your response is not quick enough. Bear with them anyway. If they are rude, let it slide off your shoulders. It will help you talk them down from that point of frustration when they are on the verge of a full-blown meltdown. 

“Thank you for your patience” is great because it leads their minds away from the fact that you may have messed up. It is not a tense, stress-laden apology that spreads the feeling of anxiety. Instead, it is a calm way to address and validate the way they feel while lightening the mood. 

“Let’s look into this together”

Every once in a while, you find a customer issue that puzzles you as much as it does your customer. Shy away from panic when this happens. 

Make your buyer feel like you are collaborating with them and doing everything you can to figure it out. A lot of people are more than willing to stick around if you show them that you are willing to investigate. 

And it is OK to consult with a colleague who might have a better answer. That tells them you have a streamlined process with a team who communicates with one another on a daily basis. 

“Let’s see what we can do…”

In sales, you come across plenty of consumers who have hefty and unrealistic demands. Even if the gist of your answer is “no,” you cannot say “no” and hang up the phone. 

This is where the power of compromise comes in. Listen to what your customer needs, then have an alternative solution on hand that still meets that need. 

Your reps can always escalate the issue to a higher-up. The point is to provide a standard of care they will not soon forget. 

“That’s a great question…”

This phrase is a prime way to eliminate a customer’s doubt that they asked a “stupid question.” Those do not exist, if you recall that popular sentiment you have heard since grade school.

“That’s a great question…” is also a perfect way to make sure you understand what your customer needs. 

Say something along the lines of: 

“That’s a great question. So the problem you are trying to solve is…” and repeat how you interpreted their question back to them. It ensures you have everything up-to-speed before you start throwing out solutions. 

“I’m glad to be of service”

Customers call or chat with your reps in the first place because they need an extra layer of service. When they need that additional help, they do not want to feel like they are being a hassle. 

Make sure the words you say, and the tone in which you say them, does not highlight that feeling. 

“I’m glad to be of service” is an easy way to reassure your customer that you can (and want to!) help them. 

“We would be happy to make things right”

What about those times when you make a mistake? Is that when you should panic? 

Absolutely not. A lot of the time, an error is not as big as it seems at first glance. Even if it is, this is where you stand out from your competitors as a business that cares about customer success. 

So say it next time you have a sticky situation come up:

“We would be happy to make things right.” 

And then, make them right. 

Conclusion

They say that the real pros learn from experience. So how are you going to generate happy customers if you aren’t one yourself? 

You can be when you come to Selling Revolution for your business solutions. We have seen it all after being experts in the game for a while. Yet every day, unique businesses surprise us with something new for us to solve for them. 

Regardless of how one-of-a-kind your needs are, we can skyrocket your business to the top of your industry just the same. 

Increased leads? Check. Higher-quality sales training? Double-check. Recruitment of top talent? Check, check, check. 

If you need a quick fix, head to our blog for more fast tips. 

But we know that you also need long-term solutions for business growth. We have your back there, too. Still, though, to start your own revolution, we only need to find 25 minutes of your time. 

Book a call with us today so we can level up your business.