This is the last in our three-part series on businesses being under attack. The first two on cybersecurity and facility security, respectively, were obvious examples of how your business might be vulnerable. This third, related to your competition, takes a slightly different perspective. It’s more about how you might be helping your competitors attack your business, which is not what you want to do.
In addition to highlighting some ways you might be giving business away, we’re including ideas on how to stop the attrition using technology as just one of many tools.
You’re delivering mediocre service.
It is a fact that customers will accept lackluster service up to a point. That point often depends on the industry, available options, and industry norms. If the level of service you deliver to your customers too often falls into the “lackluster” level, don’t assume your customer will tolerate it indefinitely. Remember, your competitors are likely routinely soliciting your customers for their business. Why help them? Technology can help whether it is a more efficient way for customers to communicate with you via phone, text, email, or even chat. Setting up a system for customers to self-select urgent requests can go a long way in making customers feel you are trying to deliver good service.
You’ve not kept up with the times.
Customers who want to place an order but can’t do so online because you still need to establish an e-commerce process may easily be wooed by your competition that does. Instead of requiring customers to email or call in an order, how much more efficient would it be for you and them to go online and place the order? Our IT services can help ensure your business has all the proper infrastructure to support your e-commerce needs, including routers and switches, firewalls, and servers.
You’re delivering reactive rather than proactive service.
Hoping you have satisfied customers is not enough. Instead of responding to negative feedback and complaints as they come in, smart business owners proactively manage the customer experience, pre-empting problems before they become lost customers. Setting up automated customer feedback processes helps to identify problems quickly so you can address any issues before they become customer service disasters. It has been said that the best way to improve customer loyalty is to proactively deal with problems head-on. Customers know there are service failures everywhere; it’s how you handle the failures that can make the difference. But it is too late if your customer has already switched to your competitor.
You’re not maintaining a high and positive online presence.
Establishing and maintaining a favorable profile online not only helps to attract new customers but reassures existing customers that they’ve made a good choice in working with you. Google My Business reviews are an excellent way to elevate your business online, letting your competition know you’re delivering high-quality service to your customers.
You aren’t responsive.
Don’t make customers spend time trying to track you down. VoIP (voice over internet protocol) systems allow customers to connect with you whenever, wherever. Simply put, it is a single communication solution, linking a laptop, a desk phone, and a mobile phone to one number. Unified Communications can enhance productivity, streamline communication, and deliver a seamless experience for internal and external communication.
Your systems are down … a lot.
Nowadays, when a company’s systems are down or the website crashes, all business comes to a screeching halt. Maybe you have a few folks internally tasked to manage your IT needs, but is it time to rethink that? If you are losing orders, business, or customers because of downtime, a possible solution is “managed services.” Our managed services can provide the support your organization needs to maintain productivity and peak efficiency while freeing up your internal resources to focus on core business functions. We offer a full range of services, including help desk, break-fix, ongoing monitoring, and systems management. Let us handle your IT management, freeing your internal staff to focus on your core business.
If your business is guilty of any of the above, you are asking your customers to go to your competitors. Let’s discuss how our IT services can help you retain and grow your customer base. Call 800-854-2444 today to schedule a free consultation to talk about the many ways technology can help you keep your customers satisfied, or go online to learn more at https://inversetech.com/it-services/