Customers are the lifeblood of your business. Being customer-focused will generate positive word of mouth, engagement, and brand loyalty, but how far should you take it? There is a difference between being friendly and being friends with your customers. Here are seven ways to keep a happy balance between the two.
Remember the basics
The old saying, “the customer is always right” applies to every business. We can all agree that a customer focus is essential for success. After all, a positive experience will keep a customer coming back. It’s important to always keep this mindset because it lays the foundation for a strong relationship. Customers want to feel welcomed—not ignored. It’s really as simple as that.
Establish trust
The key to any successful relationship is trust. You don’t need to become best friends with your customer to build a trusted relationship, but you need to deliver what was promised. And if you’re friendly in the process, your customer will be satisfied and happy. Conversely, if you mislead or are dishonest with a customer, most likely he won’t return…no matter how charming or welcoming you seem.
Set boundaries
Relationships are important in building businesses. Nurture those relationships without letting them undermine your bottom line. For example, if you become too close with your customers, they might expect discounts or free services that don’t make good business sense. It’s one thing to reward customer loyalty, but another to give away the shop.
Understand your customer
Your business model will dictate how close you get with customers. If you own a hair salon, for example, you might be friendly enough with your customer to know his hobbies, plans for summer vacation, and the names of his children. After all, in the hair business, you can spend up to a few hours with each customer, so a deeper, more personal relationship is natural.
On the other hand, if you own a smoothie shop, your interaction with customers should be short and sweet. Most likely, your customers just want to grab and go. Gauge these variables because each scenario is different.
Respect boundaries
Being overly friendly could be a turnoff to some customers. A busy customer may not care for small talk, but will appreciate that you handle his job with a sense of urgency. You can still be friendly, but stick to the business at hand. And most importantly, don’t push yourself on your customer. Keep it simple so customers remember a pleasant experience.
Don’t play favorites
Just like you shouldn’t play favorites with your employees or your children, you shouldn’t play favorites with your customers, either—even if you happen to be friends. Be careful. Customers talk to each other—both in person and on social media. The last thing a customer wants to hear is that someone else got a better deal from you on a product or service.
Be consistent
The way you and your employees treat customers should be consistent. You can avoid creating the wrong impression (whether it’s one that’s too friendly or not friendly enough) by using the right phrases and words. Your words create the first impression, so make them count. Create a standard “script” for your customer-facing employees.
When all is said and done, any business relationship exists because of the buyer’s need and the seller’s obligation to fulfill that need. Your customer doesn’t expect to be your BFF, but he does expect a friendly and fair exchange. Delivering your product or service in a professional and courteous manner is always the best course for customer satisfaction.