If you are familiar with the 4×100 relay in track and field, the baton is passed from one teammate to the next. The baton must remain connected to a person during the exchange or you become disqualified. This all takes place in the Xchange Zone.
Staying connected is the same goal we should have with our customer and we accomplish that through good customer service. Bad customer service will put us at risk of being disqualified, leaving us no chance of winning.
So, how do we remain connected with our customers in the Xchange Zone? We need to remember three things—relationship, service, and trust. R, S, T!
The 3 Step Approach to Building a Connection with Customers
1. RELATIONSHIP
Building the relationship is vital to connecting with customers. It does not matter what industry you are in; sustaining relationships must be a key component of your organization.
Relationship is defined as a way in which two or more objects, concepts or people are connected.
How do you build the customer relationship? You must understand relationships often begin prior to the first engagement. They begin with websites, social media channels, and reviews for both parties. They are also built by having a “build the relationship” philosophy. The relationship philosophy simply means everybody you meet is your customer. When you treat everybody you meet is your customer, you take time to understand their needs.
When you continuously work on building the relationship, customers give you all sorts of vital information. When you receive the information, it’s time to use it and we call that service.
2. SERVICE
Service is the second step in this three-step approach to connecting with customers. Service is what you do, not a department, phone number, or chat box. Service is taking the information you have from customer relationship building, and simply putting it to use.
If you have client’s birthday, send them a birthday card. If you know the dog’s name, the kids’ names, the spouse’s name, use them. If they tell you what they want, give them what they want the way they want it.
There are many businesses who provide the same product or service, what makes the difference? Why are some busy and others not? Most of it involves the customer experience that is created from service—and the more customized the better. Start moving the experience from transactional to relational which leads to building trust.
3. TRUST
Trust is the third step in connecting with customers and is the rewarding result of building relationships and providing proper service. Trust elevates your business with your customers. When clients trust you, they become fanatics and tell others about you. They talk about you like football fans talk about a certain team that has not been relevant for years.
Think about your favorite brands, trust has been established to turn you into a regular customer. I recently had a restaurant tell me the operating hours and phone number were incorrect on the website. I’m thinking to myself if that’s not correct and you know it, how can I trust you in the kitchen with my order? Of course I didn’t order food, stay long, or return.
Establishing client trust leads to a stronger relationship, which increases the ability to provide customized service, which increases the trust; it’s a continuous never-ending cycle.
Life is all about connections, people are trying to connect, animals are trying to connect, and great brands are trying to connect. To set yourself apart, you have to be able to remain connected with your customers through R – Relationship, S – Service, T – Trust.
