« Portfolio | Home | Firefox Friday #4 - “Font Finder” »
5 Surefire Ways To Help Keep Your Customers Happy
By Matt Richardson | May 16, 2008
Deep down, what is the real reason you want to keep your customers happy? Is it that you would like to keep them as a customer? Is it that you like their money? or Is it that you actually care about your customers? Well for me it’s a combination of all of the above. I do care about keeping my customers, and making them repeat customers, and just like anyone else I do have bills to pay, but above all I do care about not only my customers business, but also my customers themselves. I generally want my customers to do well, and I hope that I offer them solutions to help them do so.
Overall being a self employed designer, I know that my income is very dependent on my customers, and I try to make sure that my customers are happy whenever I find the opportunity. Still I am surprised almost every day that other companies don’t do more to keep their customers happy, it’s not that hard in fact aside from an extra ounce of professionalism here and there, there are many ways to show your customers you appreciate them simple things like saying thank you for example, but apparently there must be a disconnect somewhere in their process.
Here are some of the things that I do to keep my customers happy…
- Be a value add in everything you do.
This is an idea that I think everyone should subscribe to in everything they do, including their day to day life. When it comes to your customers, I found that even most of the time if there is something that you can add to their project, than even if they don’t take you up on it, they will appreciate knowing that you are looking out for them at the very least. - Show them you appreciate them.
Showing your customers that you appreciate, not only their business, but also them in general, is actually a fairly simple thing to do. One way to show your customers you appreciate them is simply saying thank you whether it is in a call, an email or even a simple card. For most jobs I send out a thank you card upon completion and follow up shortly after. - Give them something for free.
Throwing in something for free defiantly does not have to break the bank or any thing, in fact in most cases it’s as easy as helping your customer with some advice, or for example when I found out one of my customers is a cigar aficionado I sent him a nice box of cigars. If nothing else throwing in something for free will help your customers remember you, when they are smoking a cigar, or using the gift you gave them. - Be professional.
An extra ounce of professionalism will go a long way, and I do mean a long way. I have heard too many reports from my customers telling me that their last designer had “problems” meeting deadlines or other issues. Being more professional does not mean you have to be business all the time, it simply means that you need to know when to be all about business, and when it’s ok not to be. - Keep and open line of communication.
When it comes to your customers communication is key, not only through your project, but also after the project is over. The goal to this is not to bother your customers, but more to follow up with them and make sure that they know you are still there looking out for them. Call your customers from time to time when you have updates, or when you have a sale going on nine times out of ten if your customer likes you they will most likely want to hear from you, as long as you don’t catch them at a bad time.
I know a major portion should not have to be said for most out there, but even for the best it never hurts to look inward from time to time to see how you can improve.
What do you do to make your customers happy?
Topics: Corperate Identity, Help and advice |
July 24th, 2008 at 9:39 am
love to be sent an update on corporate identity.
July 24th, 2008 at 1:04 pm
Harriet,
Thanks for your comment, I have been a little behind on updates because of looming deadlines and I’m going through a rebrand my self. I have plenty of plans for updates coming up so please stay in touch.
Thanks for reading
Matt Richardson