7 Ways to Increase Business Efficiency Through Customer Service

Whether you're dealing with $500,000 service contracts or $5 retail products, every touchpoint you have with a customer is an opportunity to nurture them and keep them coming back to your brand for life.

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What if someone asked your customers, "What do you think of this brand?" How would they respond? It seems like an intangible aspect of business, but there are concrete steps you can take to deliver a top-notch customer experience.

At first glance, these steps may seem slow and superfluous. But building a core of engaged customers and unofficial brand ambassadors is actually a proven way to boost your business. Here's how you can get started.

3 ways to improve your relationships with key customers 1. Create a recording schedule.

Do you remember graduating from high school or college? Were you busy emailing the same old bosses every time you applied for a new job?

This type of business relationship, whether with a mentor or a client, can feel transactional for both of you. To build relationships with your best customers, create opportunities for real connection outside of sales and deliverables.

An easy way to do this is to create a recording schedule.

To get started, pick a day of the week and time of day that you want to dedicate to connecting with the people you want to see as repeat customers or customers. If you bundle your tasks, this is an easy task to fit into a non-deep block of admin time.

Next, make a list of the contacts you want to be in touch with. Decide how often you want to check in with each person. (Every six to nine months is a good starting point.) Then add calendar reminders to send an email or text.

You can also keep details such as birthdays, anniversaries, and accomplishments in your timeline, to add an extra personal touch to your posts.

2. Give thoughtful gifts.

Gifts are one of the most powerful ways to build relationships with your customers and customers. It shows a level of awareness that is often lacking in business relationships: the awareness that your customer is a real person, with a real life outside of work.

When it comes to choosing the gift, there are many services to make it easier for you. Spoonful of Comfort sends high-quality soups and treats, having mastered the ability to surprise recipients with a hot meal through the mail. Google the phrase "gift box business" for a plethora of other options, depending on your recipient's core interests.

Specialty foods, housewarming items, and luxury personal care can all be carefully packaged and sent on your behalf. A timeless gift from a well-known brand, a donation in your client's name to a cause close to their hearts, or a gift card to a local restaurant also make great gifts.

John Ruhlin's Giftology book is a good resource to start with if you're considering incorporating giving into your business strategy.

3. Share your story and expertise.

Whether you're an established business owner or a new entrepreneur, your story is valuable to those who want to do what you do. Your business practices and knowledge are also valuable. (If you had a dollar every time someone asked you to "pick your brain", you'd be rich, right?)

While you can't have coffee with everyone who wants to know the secrets of your success, you can strategically give your time to certain clients and clients.

This can take the form of going above and beyond on a sales call, sharing best business practices that you use in your own business. It might feel like spending an extra 30 minutes with a client after completing their contract, leaving them to ask you follow-up questions.

This extra attention for your customers shows that you see them as more than a source of income, but in doing so, you create a deeper relationship with them. This relationship might actually make them more likely to come back to do business with you again and again.

4 ways to delight everyone who comes in contact with your brand 1. Use data to improve your customer service.

Customer service is an essential part of the customer experience, and there are many ways you can set yourself apart.

For starters, look at the data collected each time someone enters...