Companies are discovering that compassion makes a critical difference as the pandemic continues. Doing the right thing can be more than fulfilling a request on time or delivering what’s expected. Consider how to humanize your relationships with your customers.
Empathy in action
Actions that say we are here, we want to help, and we care about what you are going through include:
Onboarding.
A positive onboarding experience with customized training confirms to your customers that they made the right choice. It also shows that you want them to experience the value of your product or service. Taking things a step further, consider offering an ongoing customer education program, showing that you are interested in a long-term investment in their success.
Proactively obtaining customer feedback.
After all, you can’t improve if you don’t know how your customers feel about you. But if your customers aren’t responding to your requests for feedback, it’s time to be proactive. Reach out to them, re-establish your relationship, and provide an ear. In these difficult times, they may not be providing feedback because things are not good in their neck of the woods. You reaching out to check is a tremendous gesture of grace.
Being present.
Take your eyes and ears off all distractions when you are speaking with your customers. Make your interactions personal. More than just remembering a name, if there are notes you have from the last time you spoke with this customer, bring up those topics. This enables you to create a conversation, not just complete a transaction.
Supporting their business.
Can you refer them to someone else in your network? If you are their customer, don’t forget to provide a social media review or post about them and their work, especially if you had an excellent experience.
Bottom line: Empathetic engagement will remind your customers that they are your most important priority. Your attention to their needs will keep them loyal in good times and help you navigate rough waters in bad ones.
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