How to win and keep the new-age consumer

There was a time when we had to wait for months, even years, to get a new phone connection. Such things are considered a huge inconvenience for the new age consumer. Consumers, today, are being exposed to new levels of convenience and customer service by brands that are constantly looking ways to outsmart competition. Here are five key areas of focus for service industries to build and retain a happy, healthy customer base.

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Get on to a tech platform

The new age service sector cannot afford to operate the brick-and-mortar way. They need a robust tech platform that can streamline their entire ecosystem, right from taking orders, to making the delivery at the customer’s doorstep, to billing, to keeping track of customer profile to engage with them with relevant campaigns in the future.

Robb Lee, VP of Professional Services at Praxent, says, “The auto insurance industry has recently seen rapid innovation of its service delivery models. The ubiquity of mobile connected devices allows insurance companies to deliver service in ways that weren’t possible in the past: on-the-spot video chats with claims agents at the site of an incident; real-time monitoring of the claims process; and, of course, always up-to-date proof of insurance cards just a tap away on your smartphone.” (As stated by Forbes)

Stay in touch with the customer

Businesses today cannot afford to wait for the customer to come to them. They need to employ a non-intrusive method to not just meet customer demands on time but also predict and influence their future needs.

“We see our customers as invited guests to a party, and we are the hosts. It’s our job every day to make every important aspect of the customer experience a little bit better.” Jeff Bezos

Got happy customers? Let everyone know

In an age of instant reviews, comparisons, and flimsy customer loyalties, businesses need to make sure that any positive word of mouth is milked to its maximum.

A survey conducted in early 2013 by Dimensional Research and sponsored by Zendesk found that 90 percent of their 1,046 participants claimed that positive online reviews did influence their buying decision, as stated by Marketing Land.

Go social

Yes, there is a downside to going social. One slip and you will have to handle a barrage of negativity. However, going social is a must for businesses today. It gives brands an informal environment to engage with customers. Even in case of slip-ups, rectifying mistakes and winning the customer back gets more transparent on social platforms. And that’s a big boon for brands. A study by Aberdeen Group shows that companies engaging in social customer service see much bigger annual financial gains

Never stop innovating

The world is changing at an unprecedented rate. To stay on top, brands need to constantly innovate and offer novel ways for customers to engage with their brands. A good portion of their budget needs to be allocated for innovations.

The attention span of the new-age consumer is shorter than it should be. But it’s not their fault. The competitive market place is pampering customers, putting great pressure to deliver superior on-demand experience for customers. Innovation and the right technology is the only way for businesses to keep their customers happy and satisfied.