February has arrived and love is in the air. It’s a month when we emphasize the importance of the special people in our lives — and in the business world, those people are our clients. Without our clients’ business, we can’t succeed. Since a lot of effort goes into acquiring a new client, clearly it’s important to keep them happy.
When Segpay started out 16 years ago, we would laugh and say to ourselves that we were everyone’s favorite “secondary processor.” While it wasn’t so awesome to be second fiddle, we worked hard to get our services integrated optimally so we could prove ourselves and earn more business over time. That’s something every business can do.
Offering your clients a dedicated account management and technical support contact gives them the comfort of not getting stuck in a ticket system or feeling that their urgent needs are stuck in a queue.
During this month of love, we felt it would be a good time to share our top ten tips to attract and win customer loyalty and keep your customers loving you back.
1 • LISTEN
Your clients are more than a number; they’re what makes your business continue to thrive. When customers provide feedback, listen and respond. Address all of their concerns. I know several CEOs in our industry that personally handle customer service emails to review issues, problems or even compliments from their customers. Plus, innovation often starts with client requests.
2 • STAY IN TOUCH
Your customers want to hear from you. Keep the lines of regular communication open. Provide a monthly or quarterly email updating them on what’s going on in your company, including new innovations or technology about to come online. Social media is also a great way to interact with your customers. If someone posts a comment on one of your social media sites, respond to them. It’s a great way to build brand loyalty.
3 • GET PERSONAL
Every single client counts. If you’re like us, we take it personally when a client is unhappy. It makes us feel like we let them down. One thing you can do in this situation is reach out and see if you can fix the issue. I’ve found that making the effort to understand what the issue is and providing a resolution can often save the relationship.
4 • BE TRANSPARENT
Transparency means being honest about everything, like timelines for new developments, compliance regulations or even admitting when you’ve messed up. Acknowledging that there is an issue can often help you earn the trust of your customers. Taking responsibility for the issue and making it right goes a long way towards keeping them happy. When an issue comes up, don’t just resolve it; go the extra step. Give them a token of appreciation in the form of a discount or bonus benefit.
5 • BE VISIBLE
Make it easy for your customers to get to know you. Show who your team is on your website and always make sure you have clear contact details and customer support links. If they feel like they know you and can find you, it will make them more comfortable and confident that you are accessible.
6 • OFFER SUPPORT
It’s always frustrating dealing with the cable company. At my house, we use the same company for internet, phone service and our TV. What a pain when something goes out. I spend time on the phone or the chat service trying to troubleshoot the issue. I unplug boxes and plug them back in, have signals sent and more, but all they can do is confirm that my service is out. Then they tell me I need to schedule an appointment for a service technician to come out, which could take up to 72 hours. This is not a great business practice!
Customer support should be the No. 1 priority of a business. Offering your customers a dedicated support contact gives them the comfort of knowing their urgent need will not get stuck in a queue.
7 • INVEST IN TECHNOLOGY
Everybody wants doing business to be easy, and for a lot of merchants that means self-service. One great way of offering this is providing good back-end software and documentation. This is key for those technology-driven partners to move forward when integrating and working with their account managers. Often they want tools to handle their account with the least amount of interaction with a support team. For those types of clients, I suggest investing in a dedicated self-service customer website. With a customer portal, they can quickly chat with support without having to jump through hoops. For example, over 70% of our customer service inquiries come through our support portal.
8 • HAVE A COMPETENT STAFF
It’s really important to find people who are able to do their job. Make sure you train your staff so they’re confident in what they’re doing — and are able to handle potentially tricky situations even if they don't have an immediate fix or if it requires going beyond their role.
9 • SAY THANK YOU
Writing thank you notes is a dying art form but if you take the time to do it or show some kind of appreciation, you can really stand out. This simple gesture can gain you much loyalty.
10 • REWARD LOYALTY
Everyone likes a deal, but don’t just offer them to new customers. Longtime customers like to feel appreciated too. By offering a special rate or incentive, you can gain some additional customer love.
It’s all about taking the time to show you care and are willing to be there for your customers, so let this month of love be a reminder to show your love and strengthen your customer loyalty.
Cathy Beardsley is president and CEO of Segpay, a merchant services provider offering a wide range of custom financial solutions including payment facilitator, direct merchant accounts and secure gateway services. Under her direction, Segpay has become one of four companies approved by Visa to operate as a high-risk internet payment services provider. Segpay offers secure turnkey solutions to accept online payments, with a guarantee that funds are kept safe and protected with its proprietary Fraud Mitigation System and customer service and support. For any questions or help, contact sales@segpay.com or compliance@segpay.com.
