Superior Customer Service: The Key That Unlocks the Door to Client Retention
Customer service makes all the difference when it comes to client retention.
But serving your clients well and retaining their business requires analyzing and understanding their needs, then providing long term solutions…with a great big smile!
What They Really Want
Good customer service is hard to find. With one bad experience you'll find most consumers walking out the door, leaving you shaking your head and wondering what went wrong.
We all like being treated like VIPs, and this is something your clients want from you, too. Depending on their personal situations, occupations and the like, your customers have many needs; however, some are universal to all.
From most basic to most complex, your customers' needs include:
- Friendliness—Taking the time to listen and interact openly
- Understanding/Empathy—Treating your clients with courtesy and care
- Fairness—An essential part of knowing they're important to you
- Control—An inherent need to feel they have an impact on the outcome of a situation
- Options/Alternatives—Giving them choices for meeting their needs
- Information—Educating them on your products, procedures, policies and services
Clients usually ask for the things they need; however, they don't think to ask for these things—they just expect them.
Consistently providing the kind of service listed above helps keep your customers happy…and coming back for more.
Remember that every time you interact with your clients, they're essentially scoring you on how well you're performing in the customer service arena. Therefore, you must know what your customers want—and learn how to provide it—before they seek it from your competitors.
How to Give It to Them
Good customer service is essential to all business, but even more vital for one as highly competitive as insurance.
As an agent, providing your clients with exceptional customer service just makes sense. And it doesn't have to be difficult—if you're willing to follow 10 basic rules:
- Commit yourself to quality service. If you're focused on creating a positive customer experience by going above and beyond the call of duty, your customers will notice, and they'll reward you with their loyalty.
- Know your products inside and out. If you want to win your customers' trust and confidence, get to know your products and services from top to bottom. Then, when you're asked a question, you'll know the answer and be able to provide it quickly.
- Get to know your customers. The more you know someone, the better you are at meeting their needs. This applies doubly to your clients, who expect you to tailor your service approach to them as individuals. So take time to listen…you'll discover your strengths, weaknesses and opportunities for improvement.
- Treat your clients with courtesy and respect. Every contact with your customers leaves some sort of impression. Make it a positive one by showing them, through your attitude, that they're important to you, and that you're thankful for their business.
- Never argue with your customers. Don't focus on what went wrong in a situation. Instead, concentrate on how to make it right. Research shows that seven out of 10 customers will do business with you again if you resolve a complaint in their favor.
- Don't leave customers hanging. Handle correspondence and situation resolution with a sense of urgency.
- Always live up to your promises. Otherwise, you'll lose credibility in your customers' eyes. If you can't make good on your promise, apologize and offer some sort of compensation to make up for it.
- Give your customers the benefit of the doubt. Always assume they're telling the truth—even if it appears they aren't. Most people will go out of their way to avoid complaining, so if they're being difficult and irritable, treat the situation as a serious problem that needs fixing.
- Focus on customers…not sales. It costs six times more to attract a new customer than to keep an existing one. So remember, keeping a client's business is more important than closing another new sale.
- Make it easy to buy. Eliminate unnecessary paperwork, help your customers find what they need, and do anything possible to facilitate transactions with your clients.
Service with a Smile
To keep your clients for the long term, get to know their needs and provide appropriate solutions with a smile.
You'll earn their respect—and their business!
This information was provided by InsureMe, the leader in online insurance leads for the insurance industry. Since 1993, InsureMe has helped thousands of insurance agents succeed in the insurance business by providing top-quality leads that are both detailed and affordable. For more information on InsureMe leads, please visit our agent Web site at www.agent.insureme.com.
