Why you should love your clients more
experience
Here at Auto & General, we can’t get enough of good customer service. When we talk customer service, we are not talking about simple table stakes – those service aspects that we should get right regardless – like answering queries fast, resolving those queries, and doing what you promise.
We are referring to the type of customer service that inspires customer loyalty and makes everyone’s lives easier. And that’s why we advocate for good customer service under our staff, but also under our broker partners. For our broker partners, raising your customer service game can unlock more growth within your own practice.
Why is customer service so important?
The importance of customer service shouldn’t be underestimated. In fact, it could make or break your brand, because it’s the direct connection between your customers and your brokerage. If done correctly it can help you retain existing customers and we all know that retaining a customer is cheaper than acquiring a new customer. And, it increases word-of-mouth referrals, which are always the best type of referrals - if loyal customers can help you acquire new customers free of charge by convincing the prospects to interact with your brand, then your marketing efforts will be more effective and also cheaper.
Research* points to a massive 80% of profits coming from existing customers, so is this not a good enough reason to show your customers more love?
More than answering queries and solving issues.
When most of us think about customer service we think of someone answering queries and solving problems, problems that have often been around for a long time. But consider thinking out of the box to show your customers how much you love them:
1. Adopt a proactive customer service approach, where possible. Rather than wait for a customer to file a complaint, reach out to them before they even know the issue exists. This shows them that you are constantly removing roadblocks from their user experience.
2. Avoid the cost of waiting. If a customer has declined insurance, ask one more time. One never knows when tragedy can strike and by asking one more time and illustrating the impact of them declining, you could save them a lot of heartache and money and also win a customer for life.
3. Send personalised messages and replies. Why? Because names are the sweetest and most important words in any language.
4. You should never underestimate the power of thanking your customers for doing business with you – and yes, it also needs to be personal. Thank you notes prove that you value them.
5. We realise that many of your customer meetings are now conducted online. So why not get a cup of coffee delivered to their door, before your next online meeting and show them some extra love?
The most important thing is to always try to go above and beyond, that’s when a positive customer experience really talks about value.
*Source: The Pareto Principle (80:20 Rule) for Customer Success - SmartKarrot
