Whether it’s slow growth, increased living costs or unemployment, there are a range of reasons why customers might be losing confidence and restricting their spending. In turn, challenging economic circumstances can lead businesses to have to make changes to their products or services, including how much they offer or what they charge.
However, businesses can take certain steps to reassure customers about these changes and encourage them to start buying again. This article will outline these steps and explain how businesses can support and help their customers through tricky economic times.
Reach out to them directly
Although it might be tempting for businesses to hide away from changes and uncertainty to pretend they didn’t happen, it’s important that you reach out to your customers and explain these challenges directly. By facing up to potential problems and telling customers how you’re working to fix them, you help to show them you’re a safe pair of hands and aren’t afraid to deal with any difficulties you face. Communicating to them through official channels such as email, phone or letter will help them to feel even more secure in your capabilities.
Prioritise clear communication
Mixed messages about how you’re going to deal with any uncertainty or potential challenges will only add to your customers’ exasperation. This makes it essential for employees at all levels to agree on what the key messages are and how you’re going to put them across to your customers.
When everyone from your company directors to your telesales employees are on the same page, you can bring a sense of consistency and unity in a world of uncertainty. It also means your communications will be the same across all channels without causing any disruption or confusion to customers.
Focus on delivery
Your customers chose your products and services for a reason. Understanding exactly what customers love about you and focusing on doing this as well as possible will reemphasise to them why they chose you in the first place. It doesn’t just show that you have the ability to stay consistent in difficult or challenging times, but that your products, services and brand hasn’t fundamentally changed. Taking time to optimise your operations and service is also key to making sure your customers have as smooth an experience as possible.
Make contact easy
As well as making information as easily accessible as possible, your customers should be able to get in touch with you at their convenience too. This doesn’t just mean freeing up your phone lines and answering any emails promptly, but making sure your social media is well monitored. Responding to messages quickly and thoroughly will help your customers feel listened to and show them you’re empathetic to any of their challenges or concerns. Helping customers to have quick and easy communication with you will help them feel confident and ensure their stress is minimised as much as possible.
Reflect, don’t react
Reacting to each customer query or problem is a highly inefficient way to operate. Instead, working to continuously improve the way you work through reflection and gradual change will help you to save costs and better serve your customers in the long run.
For example, your service team might be getting repeated complaints about delivery times. Rather than just responding to each individual complaint, continuous improvement will allow them to recognise and report this problem to the relevant team who can then address it directly. By learning from mistakes and acting on them, you will reassure both your customers and employees that you’ll continue to be resilient even in the most challenging economic times.
