Building an excellent reputation is key to business success, because it both attracts new customers to your brand and fosters loyalty amongst existing customers. Here are three simple ways you can enhance the reputation of your business.
1. Provide excellent customer service
Research shows that a staggering 94% of people are more likely to shop again with a company after a positive customer service experience, and 82% say that excellent customer service has inspired them to recommend a company to someone else. On the flip side, studies suggest that whilst unhappy customers may not make a complaint after a negative customer experience, they will spread the word to others to avoid the company.
This goes to show that providing a good experience to customers is key for building a reputable brand. Good customer service involves going the extra mile to help customers out. Your call handling agents should have a pleasant, friendly attitude, and be knowledgeable about your products and services so that they can give accurate information to customers in a timely manner. Ideally, you should resolve problems at the first point of contact. If this isn’t possible, try to get back to customers sooner rather than later.
2. Focus on quality, not quantity
A common growth tactic for businesses is to expand their product range or service offerings in order to attract a wider range of customers, and while this isn’t necessarily a bad strategy, it can have its pitfalls.
Quality is important to consumers, with 74% believing it the most important factor in remaining loyal to a brand. When you offer a big range of products or services, you risk diluting the quality of your offerings. It’s far better to focus on doing just a few products or services very well so that you build a reputation as a quality brand. Only bring new products or services to market when you’ve already perfected your existing line. When you are ready to expand your products or services, don’t rush – make sure they match the quality your company is already known for.
3. Respond to reviews
When you listen to feedback, you prove to your customers that you value them. That’s why it’s so important to respond to online reviews, no matter if they provide positive or negative feedback about your business. For positive reviews, always thank them for their feedback, let them know how pleased you are they had a great experience with your business, and tell them you’re looking forward to doing business with them again.
When replying to negative reviews, it’s vital that you apologise for the specific problems the customer has faced, to show that you’ve really listened to their feedback. Explain that you want to make things right and ask them to reach out to you directly to find a solution. It’s helpful to include a phone number or email address to make this easy for them.
The customer experience is key to building a strong reputation
Each of the three tactics above focus on putting the customer experience at the forefront of your operations. Happy customers are likely to recommend and return to your business, so concentrate on providing an excellent experience and your reputation is bound to thrive.
