Are You Exceeding Customer Expectations?

Are You Exceeding Customer Expectations?
Photo by CC user nyphotographic.com

When was the last time you stopped to think about whether or not you were exceeding the expectations of your customers?

For many business owners, this is a question that should be relatively easy to answer, yet some struggle with it more than they should.

That said the end of 2016 and a New Year just around the corner provides a great opportunity to review your practices.

Among those to look at:

  • Is your business doing all it can to keep customers happy?
  • Is your business a force online, an area where more and more consumers go these days to browse and ultimately buy goods and services?
  • Is your business willing to go above and beyond what the competition is doing when it comes to customer service?

Those are but three of the questions you should certainly be taking into consideration as 2017 gets set to unfold.

If you are having trouble with any of those questions, stop and see how you can better service your customers in the months and even years ahead.

When you do that, you stand a much improved chance of keeping them around for many more years to come.

So, are you exceeding customer expectations when all is said and done?

Making Your Business More Mobile

For your business to truly meet the demands of customers, it has to be a company that not only is up to speed on technology, but embraces it.

In today’s digital world, it is simply not good enough to say you’re interested in technology for your business. You have to deploy it wherever it makes sense, especially if it means ultimately leading to more customers when all is said and done.

While there are different ways to utilize technology, one of the best means is being there for your customers, allowing them to make purchases just about whenever and wherever they want.

For example, if you are a business that is attending community events, trade shows, and other such networking events, can customers buy goods and services at those times? If not, you are missing out on a great opportunity to sell your brand.

By having a mobile phone swipe reader to go with an app, you can conduct sales literally anywhere and at any time you so choose.

Best of all, word soon spreads that your business is embracing technology, meaning more customers are likely to be coming your way.

Listening to What Customers Are Saying

As important as business mobility is in today’s day-and-age, you also can’t overlook the importance of listening to what your customers say.

Yes, some of the feedback you get in-person, on your website, via social networking sites etc. may be less than gratifying, but it is important that you listen. Keep in mind that not listening to customers is ultimately a recipe for disaster.

For starters, you run the risk of turning off many of these people, individuals willing to do business with you for one reason or another.

Secondly, you begin to get a reputation for doing things your way and your way only. As such, some customers can become turned off to the point where they go to the competition, feeling more welcomed there.

Lastly, you begin to get labeled as a business only looking at customers as dollar signs, not people. When this happens, the wildfire of people leaving you for competitors can spread rather quickly.

Tweaking Your Business Model

Finally, don’t be afraid to tweak your business model on occasion.

While avoiding major changes, some tweaking can actually benefit your business, showing customers that you are open to some change.

With the New Year just around the corner, demonstrate to customers all the potential your business has now and down the road.

In doing so, you are likely to add more customers to your sales lists, giving your revenue stream deeper pockets.