Whether you’re a freelancer, work in real estate, are employed in a large corporation, or are a business owner, one thing always holds true – the customer is king. A satisfied customer will continue doing business with you and recommend your services to others, expanding your customer base and, ultimately, increasing your profits. Without customers, no business can thrive.
There are hundreds of lists online about customer’s needs, so we’ve gone through all of them and picked out the most essential eight things we believe customers need:
1. Excellent Customer Service
Even if they don’t realize it, all customers want to receive excellent customer service. Customers want to feel valued and know that they are seen and heard. They need a forum to receive updates, give feedback, and ask questions. This is all part of providing excellent customer service – making your customers feel like you recognize them as individuals and want to give them the best experience possible.
Look at your own experience being a customer. Would you rather give your hard-earned money to a business that cares when you have something to say or a company that sees you as just another order number and doesn’t listen when you have feedback? Excellent customer service is about building and nurturing a relationship with your customer that will turn them into your long-term promoters.
2. Value from Our Product and Services
Value is not just about the price of a product or service. It’s also about how much your customers think your offering is worth compared to your competitors’ selling.
For example, let’s keep it simple, you’re selling a cake for $20, and another bakery nearby sells a similar cake for $17. However, your competitor uses a plain brown box and doesn’t offer any additional services. Meanwhile, you provide a free birthday card, elegantly wrap your cake box with a beautiful ribbon, and give a voucher for a free cupcake on your birthday month.
While some customers may still opt for the cheaper cake, many will perceive more value in your additional services. Ultimately, they will buy your product because they think they are getting more value, even if it means paying a higher price.
3. Personalized Experience
Again, customers need to be seen and heard. This is particularly true for businesses directly interacting with customers, such as real estate agents and freelancers. While a customer may not necessarily expect a personalized experience at a large retailer like Walmart, they would certainly expect this level of attention from someone selling their home or meeting with them regularly.
Customers want to feel like they are more than just another sale. By sending personalized messages and emails, referencing previous interactions, and offering tailored products and services, you can make your customers feel valued and appreciated. This extra effort goes a long way in leaving a positive impression of your business and building customer loyalty.
4. Consistency
It’s crucial to keep in mind that customers crave consistency. They want to receive the same quality of product, service, and customer service every time they deal with a business or company. Customers need to know what to expect every time they purchase something or work with someone because they’ll get the same quality they previously received.
If there’s inconsistency in your product or service, it’s bound to disappoint the customer and push them towards a competitor. This is why it’s essential to be consistent and ensure that your customers receive nothing but the best every time they deal with you.
5. Empathy
Empathy means “the ability to understand or share the feelings of the other.” Empathy is an essential trait when it comes to dealing with customers. It’s important to understand and share their feelings, put yourself in their shoes, and see the situation from their perspective. While receiving customer feedback and complaints may be challenging, we must recognize them. It’s essential to try and empathize with our customers, regardless of whether we feel they are being difficult or just ranting. Keep in mind that ignoring customers’ complaints isn’t an option if we want them to continue supporting our business.
Remember that empathy is key to maintaining a positive customer relationship. Customers want to know that we care about their specific circumstances and are willing to listen to their concerns. We can also learn from their feedback to improve our services the next time they interact with us.
6. Information and Options
Customers need as much information from us about a product or service, and they need to know their options. For example, you can’t refuse a valid return or exchange unless it’s extremely clear from the beginning of the sales transaction that a particular item cannot be returned or exchanged. They don’t want to feel they are being forced to buy something that doesn’t work for their lifestyle or has no value for them.
When interacting with customers, it’s important to provide them with all the necessary information and options to make an informed decision. For instance, as a real estate agent, you should furnish your clients with all the details about a property, including the available payment and loan options. It’s best to share more than enough information to help the customer make a well-informed decision on whether to proceed with the purchase.
7. Innovative Products and Services
Customers need you to innovate and offer them new products and services that solve their current problems. Obviously, you won’t offer a product from 2013 to a customer in 2023. This is especially crucial in the tech industry, where customers always seek the latest and most innovative offerings.
It’s essential to keep up with the times and not offer outdated products to customers. For instance, real estate agents must stay updated with new presentation platforms, such as Highnote, to meet customers’ expectations. Using the same old, boring Powerpoint presentation that has been used for years is no longer acceptable. As customers trust us to provide innovative and up-to-date products and services, it’s important to keep up with the times.
8. Proactive Customer Service
Lastly, aside from being responsive when a customer contacts you, providing proactive customer service is vital. This means informing customers about service issues through personal notifications and public statements, such as social media updates. By being proactive, you demonstrate to your customers that you’re committed to going above and beyond for them. Even if some customers don’t realize they need this level of service, they’ll certainly appreciate it and be more likely to remain loyal to your business.
Highnote can help you meet your customers’ needs. This includes delivering a customized experience, being proactive in customer service, and offering innovative products and services. Meeting these needs is crucial in establishing and sustaining customer relationships that will ultimately contribute to and bring you to long-term success.
