5 ways to improve customer communication

As a small business owner with a jam-packed to-do list, customer communication may not always be top of mind. But it’s important to remember that a positive relationship with your customers is the key to business success. A little time and care invested into your customer communication strategy can go a long way. Here are some of our favorite smart ways to stay in touch with your current and potential customers:

1. Don’t skimp on training

Make sure each employee has a clear understanding of how to interact with customers. Using realistic scenarios and detailed demonstrations, teach your employees how to handle both day-to-day communication and situations involving conflict. Be patient with new hires and give them some time to become familiar with your procedures and communication styles.

2. Always focus on values

Employees are going to come across situations they have not been trained to handle, especially when they’re new. But when they internalize and know your company’s values inside and out, they’ll be able to deal with unique situations when they express them in their communication.

3. Save time with templates

If your company deals with the same types of situations or interactions repeatedly, you can save time and ensure quality with scripts or templates. This guarantees a consistent experience for every customer and also increases efficiency.

4. Adopt a sincere, positive tone

Make sure each customer conversation is friendly and productive when you begin with a positive greeting. Employees should sound enthusiastic yet natural and attentive to make a customer feel comfortable throughout the entire conversation.

5. Know your customer’s name

Teach your employees to use a customer’s name as soon as they learn it.  Repeating it back helps add it to memory, and they should include it naturally throughout the conversation and not be afraid to ask the proper pronunciation. Your customers will appreciate this personal touch. After all, making an effort in knowing a name translates into making the extra effort in other areas of service.

Now that your employees will have the proper communication skills, get your phones ringing with a vanity toll-free number. To learn more about how Custom Toll Free can help boost your business, visit customtollfree.com/how-it-works.