Your customers want to talk to you… on their terms. We all know that when it comes to marriage, friendships and family relationships, communication is key. Your customer relationships are no different. Your business can’t be successful in the customer service department without frequent communication with its customers. It costs 5x as much for a business to obtain a new customer than it does for them to retain a current one. There’s really only one way to provide optimal customer service in order to retain your customers, and that is through frequent, targeted communication.

Make customer service and communication clear and to the point. Customers want the right answers, but they also value their time. That’s why it’s important for business owners to remember that an important part of effective customer service communication is keeping your interactions with customers as concise as possible while staying relevant. This point is especially vital on social media, chat, and text messaging as they are all means for quick and efficient communication. Emails should also be kept to a length that is not long and daunting, but quickly gets to the point.

There are several ways that a business can practice positive customer service and communication at the same time, such as:

Sending out a Newsletter: Customers like to see businesses behind-the-scenes in their imagery and messaging. Sending out a newsletter to your current customers is a great way to keep the conversation going, while providing an extra level of customer service in the form of keeping them updated and in the loop. 

Staying Active on Social Media: Your customers are on social media. How do we know that? Because everyone’s customers are on social media. Working to keep your business active on social media through posts, updated photos, videos and responses is a big part of customer service and communication. 

Interacting with Customers through Text and Email Engagements: Consumers appreciate businesses who take the time to interact with them through text messages and email engagements. These are forms of communication that are quick, efficient and provide next-level customer service. Interacting with customers through these channels provides you the opportunity to get your message across, while also helping customers feel connected to your business. 

Responding to Online Reviews: Responding to customer feedback is key to successful customer service and communication. Whether someone leaves you a positive or negative review, responding professionally shows your customers that you value their feedback and you are interested in interacting with them. 

Truthfully, when it comes to customer service and communication, you can’t have the former without the latter. Communication is key in building strong relationships, and your customers expect strong communication strategies from the businesses they choose to work with. 

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!