Follow Up With Your Customer

Your customer is the most important person on your team. You always want to do what you can to make them happy, but it seems as though lately you just haven’t been able to keep up with them. Well, it’s time for you to give up this all-too-common habit: the “blissful ignorance” that so many other businesses are guilty of. Whether you’re not getting in touch with a customer after a sale to follow up on your product as promised, or you don’t reach out to them when they aren’t satisfied with your product, both are equally damaging to the relationship between you and your customer.

Like always, it comes down to communication. If there is anything that can make or break a good business transaction, it is communication. Although it seems like a simple and plain statement, we all know how important good communication is between ourselves and others; but so many businesses are guilty of neglecting this fact. Communication—whether in person or over the phone—is always going to be a lot easier than an e-mail or message through social media. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it.

If you have no idea what I’m talking about, then this article is here to help. I’ll give some reasons as to why communication is the corner stone of your business, and why it is so important to communicate with your customers after a product transaction. If you don’t have time to read an entire article, then at least take my advice: strive for better communication after every transaction with your customers.

a) To Maintain Customer Loyalty

Easily one of the most important reasons behind maintaining good communication with your customers after a transaction is that it helps set up loyalty. Loyalty is one of the most valuable assets a business can have. It can really give your company an advantage against other companies in your industry, as it gives you a loyalty-based customer base that you don’t have to worry about quitting on you; and vice versa. If a customer feels like they’re not being heard, then their loyalty can be lost, and their loyalty will definitely be lost.

I’ll admit it—even I forget about the customers that I’ve done business with before now! Sometimes it is so much easier to be busy rather than finding time to do all of the little things that we need to do for our customers once they have received their order. However, if you are still in communication with the customer that you worked with before, you can use this communication as a way to get more business from them.

If I’m a loyal customer of yours that has bought from you before and likes your product, then why would I stay loyal if I didn’t think that you cared about me anymore? That’s why it is so important to let your customers know that they are important to you, and not just let them slip into oblivion.

It is always great to have the people who have been loyal to your company come back and order again; especially because it is something we never really see much of anymore. However, you don’t want to lose out on a potential new customer because you haven’t communicated with them after a transaction. You want them to be happy, and if you didn’t make your customers happy during that transaction, at least let them know that you are going to try and fix the problem.

b) To keep Your Customer Engaged

If your customers are happy with the products that they have purchased from you in the past, then why wouldn’t they want to buy from you again? Good question! Because it is so easy for us to get burnt out if we are doing something over and over again. I’m sure even you have experienced this before.

It is important to remember that the customer is always going to be your priority—after all, it is a relationship between two individuals, and it should be treated as such. If you are a business that likes to give money away, then think about the people giving the money away too; they are also human beings!

Communication plays a very important role in keeping your customer engaged by giving them updates on new products and different sales. When customers feel like they aren’t being heard or listened to after a transaction, then they will quickly become disinterested in your product and services as well.

c) To sell more

If you’re not in constant communication with your customers, then you could be leaving money on the table. This is because your customers have the ability to tell their friends about the products and services that they have purchased from you, which will cause them to make new purchases from you. If a customer isn’t happy with their purchase, then they won’t be driven to buy from you again.

I can remember a time where I went into a sporting goods store and asked for some hockey tape; they gave me some tape and told me that I should bring it back if I needed anymore. I was a little frustrated because I couldn’t find any tape, and it seems as though they didn’t want to help me at all. When I went back in to try and buy more tape, the lady who helped me was different than the one who gave me the first tape. She took care of me right away, and in turn I bought more than just a roll of tape.

The point is that the business definitely left some money on the table—and not just by selling their product three times instead of one time; this was a business that could have made much more money had they been willing to communicate with their customer properly.

d) Communication Brings Happiness

If you’re able to boost your sales by communicating with your customers, then you will also be helping increase the happiness of your customers. This is because the customer will know that you are still interested in what they have to say, and that you truly care about them.

This will also increase the loyalty between you and your customer, which can grow over time. It is something very special when a business cares enough about their customers to offer them more than just a transactional relationship; it is something that really makes us feel as if we’re valued, even if it seems mundane.

e) To keep you in Business

With all of the reasons stated above, it is easy to see why this is such an important way to communicate with your customers. It can sometimes be very hard for business owners to find time to take care of the little things that we need to do for our customers.

Not only that, but leaving communication completely out of the picture could be a huge mistake.

Conclusion

There are many reasons that you should be communicating with your customers, even after they have received their products. It is important to always keep the customer in mind no matter what. Even if you are a small business owner who only has three employees—you can just imagine how many people you would need to speak to on a consistent basis if you had hundreds of employees!

How often do you communicate with your customers? Do you think that communication is important after every transaction? Why or why not? Let us know by commenting below. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic.