Making Customers Happy Is Good for Your Image

To build a good image in your market, make your customers happy, and they’ll help you do just that. Make your customers unhappy, on the other hand, and you’ll have a high hurdle to overcome.

The good buzz from people talking about the good work you’ve done on the systems in their homes can’t be underestimated. This word of mouth doesn’t even have to be a direct referral but a conversation that brings your company name into the discussion and ends with an upbeat assessment.

Let’s say you’ve sent a tech out on a service call and the next day your customer says to a co-worker, “They did a good job with the repair.” Simple yet powerful. It doesn’t have to be a top-dollar copywriter’s sales-trigger-infused words when it’s a valuable exchange led by a paying customer. The next-step logic to your future prospect is clear: “If they did a good job for my co-worker, they’ll do a good job for me. I’ll remember that.”

To spread happiness among your customers, follow the guidelines of treating people well. More specifically, that starts with:

Do great work. Quality service and installation are the ground floor for a good image. To raise your service level higher, step it up a notch everywhere you can. As the saying goes, “Under promise and over deliver.” Don’t make a promise that’s iffy, but do go above and beyond in the delivery stage.

Be personable. In your Social Media posts, your emails or your personal interactions, talk like a real person who cares about your customers. Avoid jargon as you express your depth of expertise. Convey warmth, concern and competence. Be friendly. Welcome questions.

Listen and respond to feedback. Whenever your customers express concerns and provide feedback, they are giving you very valuable marketing data. In whatever format – digital communication, written notes or one-on-one conversation – be sure your team is trained to listen, to take notes, to be empowered to solve problems and to bring issues that can’t be resolved to the attention of management. Then see that those issues are resolved.

Treat customers like VIPs. They actually are very important people, you know. Your customers are the reason you’re able to stay in business. So treat them with the respect that their positive impact on your life and work deserves.

Create and foster a good work environment. Your employees are your top-tier ambassadors. Their enthusiasm for being part of your team will carry over in their conversations with friends and family, but more importantly – in their interactions with your customers. A bad work environment is not the kind of place that grows good customer relationships.

Remember who’s the boss. Your customers are. Or did you think you were? Customers give you the opportunity to stay in business, so don’t take them for granted. Friendly reminder: Without them, you don’t have income.

Make amends when you make a mistake. We’re all human. If you make a mistake, own it, apologize for the lapse and work to make the situation acceptable to the customer.

Tell your customers that you appreciate them. Thank them during and after service – in person during the service call, on the phone as follow-up and touching base via email.

Be consistent. Consistency applies to marketing messaging as well as customer service. Your marketing is built on promises that you make to your market; your image is built on the promises you keep. Your delivery on these promises creates a reservoir of goodwill in your market, and that’s what helps you build a good image.