Optimizing your service and processes to improve customer experience is not going the extra mile anymore, now it’s expected. In fact, 73% of consumers expect businesses to understand their needs in order to make their experience even more pleasant. According to Steve Jobs, “You’ve got to start with the customer experience and work backwards to the technology. You cannot start with the technology and try to figure out where you are going to sell it.”

What does it mean to understand the needs of your customers? 

Understanding the needs of your customers means you know which products they’re purchasing or which services they’re frequently in need of. In order to understand the needs of your valuable customers, you need to know their habits when it comes to utilizing your business. Consumers don’t just want you to know them and provide them with good customer service, they expect you to. Why? Because with today’s technology and accessible data, businesses are easily able to do just that. 

Are your customers scheduling carpet cleaning for their home or for a residential office they manage? Is your customer in need of auto maintenance more frequently than most because they drive an older car? These are some of the industry-related questions you should know the answer to based on each of your loyal customers. 

How can you track the habits and needs of each and every customer?

You probably can’t remember the buying habits of each and every consumer who comes to your business with a need. You likely won’t remember the last time you serviced each person’s HVAC system or the next time they’ll be in need of a pest control service. However, FreshLime’s Customer Connection platform stores all of the data you could ever hope for in order to understand the needs of your consumers. The easy-to-use software stores all of your customer data and interaction history, so it’s available in a single customer messaging platform.

There are some things business owners can (and should) be doing on their own, as well, in order to increase customer satisfaction and understand customer needs:

• Know your customers by name.
• Ask your customers questions before, during and after completing a service for them to better understand their situation.
• Be available to your customers when they need you: through text, phone calls and webchat.

When over 70% of consumers have the same expectation for businesses, we know it’s time to meet their demands and provide the kind of service they expect. If you’re ready to better understand your customers and their needs, schedule a free FreshLime demo today!

For more insights on marketing strategy that actually works for small business, connect with Jay Bean, Founder of FreshLime and Small Business Marketing Expert on LinkedIn and Twitter. If any of these tips have helped you or if you have anything to add, please comment below. We’d love to hear from you!