20 Strategies To Positively Transform Customer Experiences
Forbes Business Council
In the business world, going after “low-hanging fruit”—the easily attainable yet impactful strategies that can make a significant difference in your business trajectory—is a great way to earn some quick wins. This can be especially appealing in the realm of customer experience, where every interaction is an opportunity to turn a one-time buyer into a lifelong advocate of your brand.
Below, 20 Forbes Business Council members discuss the untapped potential of low-hanging fruit when it comes to improving customer service. These strategies are both effective in the short term and can foster long-term loyalty and growth among your customer base.
1. Send A Handwritten Note
Send handwritten thank you cards in the mail to thank customers for their business. No one does this, so you’ll stand out from the crowd. – Todd Price, Perimeter Roofing
2. Leverage The Power Of Online Communities
We are leveraging the power of communities on either Discord or Telegram. We regularly have other customers respond and come with solutions before our staff can answer. An engaged audience has a strong sense of belonging. – Alberto Levy, Poly Rewards
3. Develop An Easy Customer Feedback System
Develop a quick and easy feedback system for customers. For example, this could be an automated email that links to a survey. Asking for feedback shows you value their input, leading to improved customer satisfaction and loyalty. Plus, you can implement their valuable suggestions to make their experience better next time! – Emily Reynolds Bergh, R Public Relations Firm
4. Work To Create A Personal Connection
In the book How to Win Friends And Influence People, Dale Carnegie says, “Remember that a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.” Making a personal connection by learning someone’s name and some things about them can be very powerful. A personal connection is good in any business. – Barry Raber, Carefree Covered RV Storage
5. Leverage UX Analytics To Understand Customer Experiences
For most SaaS companies, especially product-led growth (PLG) businesses, there is a massive and easy opportunity to leverage user experience analytics to understand how customers experience and engage with your product from beginning to end. These analytics can also provide insight into where there are gaps in value. You’ll get powerful and actionable insights about the user journey to help drive decisions and improvements. – Carla Bourque, Rebrandly
6. Provide Control And Training To Frontline Employees
Often, those who are the first point of contact with customers are simply not empowered enough, or at all, to resolve complaints in whatever way the situation requires. Give those frontline folks more control and train them with the mindset of taking care of the customer as they would want to be taken care of. This will give them the ability to resolve issues in whatever way they deem necessary. – Jason Foodman, Oxzeon.com
7. Address Customer Needs Promptly
One of the most effective “low-hanging fruit” improvements for customer experience is streamlining communication and response times. This works well because it enhances customer satisfaction by addressing their needs promptly and demonstrates a commitment to excellent service. – Steven Thomas, MILESTONE CONCEPT GmbH
8. Verify Customer Information To Prove You’re Listening
We take advantage of the “low-hanging fruit” by truly listening to our customers. Being engaged in the conversation helps us understand what the customer is looking for. We call them by their name and will ask them to verify information as we go through the process with them. Asking them to verify the information shows them we’re paying attention and builds the relationship from the beginning. – Chris Clear, Clear Storage Group, LLC
9. Optimize Your Current Feedback Loop
When scaling your business, operators and managers should look for the “low-hanging fruit” that will be a quicker and more simple fix or solution to a larger problem or obstacle. In terms of customer experience and success, businesses need to look at their current feedback loop and optimize it. You can do so by implementing simple engaging surveys and creating marketing for these users accordingly. – Christian Brown, Glewee
10. Utilize The Question Box On Instagram Stories
Use the question box feature on Instagram Stories to survey your audience. What content do they want to see from you? What products are they craving? This is a super easy way to immediately capture feedback from your audience and improve your customer experience. – Annu Khot, Rely Services Inc.
11. Shift Focus To Value-Based Selling
When a customer purchases a product or service, businesses must identify that customer’s goals. Many businesses only focus on selling product or service features and forget to explain the value the end customer is seeking. By shifting from feature-centric to value-based selling, businesses can quickly pinpoint what customers hope to gain from an offering and prioritize delivering that value, which improves the customer experience. – Sharat Potharaju, Beaconstac
12. Personalize Communication With Automation Tools
Personalized communication is my favorite “low-hanging fruit” for enhancing customer experience. It shows customers they’re valued as individuals, often leading to increased satisfaction and loyalty. Simple automation tools can make personalization easy to implement and maintain. – Ari Chazanas, Lotus West Properties
13. Be Available For Your Customers
Let your customers know they can reach out to you and show them you are available. Always answer calls, texts and emails, as this lets customers know you and your team care. Also, underpromise and overdeliver because this always makes people happy. – Allen Kopelman, Nationwide Payment Systems Inc.
14. Build Employee Loyalty To Create Customer Loyalty
Understand that your customer experience hinges on the quality of your employee experience. You have to create a brand promise and organizational purpose that your employees can feel closely connected to. Then develop, coach and motivate your people in ways that show they are skilled, valued and empowered to delight customers. Without employee loyalty, there is no customer loyalty. – Mike Esterday, Integrity Solutions
15. Use Small Gifts For Customer Milestones
A modest gesture like a coffee voucher for a customer’s birthday or significant event can convey appreciation and forge an emotional bond with your brand. This cost-effective touchpoint can make a memorable impact. – Denys Grabchak, Performetry
16. Be Of Service
Acknowledge customers and ask how you can assist. Demonstrating service goes such a long way. – Geoffrey Roche, Core Education PBC
17. Improve Customer Service Response Times
Improve response times. Quick replies to customer queries or concerns show that a business values its time and patronage. This boosts customer satisfaction and loyalty because it creates a personal connection and demonstrates that we are attentive and responsive to their needs. It’s a small change that can significantly influence the perception of a brand’s customer service quality. – Jeff Pedowitz, The Pedowitz Group
18. Ask For Client Feedback Regularly
Reaching out to clients and asking about their recent experiences. At our company, we do this exercise at least quarterly, and the feedback from our clients often guides the development of our products and services. The hardest part is having the confidence to approach your clients to ask them what you can do to improve and not be defensive. Take note and just improve! – Maurice Harary, The Bid Lab
19. Demonstrate A Willingness To Make Changes
One of my favorite “low-hanging fruit” strategies is to actively listen to customer feedback and promptly address their concerns. By implementing a robust feedback loop and demonstrating a genuine willingness to understand and resolve customer issues, businesses can build trust and foster long-term relationships with their clientele. – Adam Ramsey, Suboxonet Inc.
20. Add A Responsive And Informative FAQs Section
Implementing a responsive and informative FAQs section on your website is my favorite “low-hanging fruit.” It empowers customers with instant solutions, reduces support inquiries and enhances overall satisfaction by saving time and providing clarity. – Elizabeth A. Douglas, Esq., Douglas Family Law Group
Forbes Business Council Article Link: 20 Simple Strategies To Positively Transform Customer Experiences
