In today’s world, your customers are perhaps your company’s most valuable asset. Customers can make or break your business, so it’s important to always treat them with care and respect. While there is no one-size-fits-all strategy for the customer experience, some best practices are essential if you want to remain competitive in your industry.

Always Deliver The Three “Bs”

1. Be proactive: Give customers what they want before they even know they want it. For example, when you find out that someone is going to be traveling, send them an email with suggestions for hotels and restaurants in the area.
2. Be responsive: A customer-centric company will respond quickly to requests and complaints. If a customer is having trouble with your product or service, help them fix it immediately. Your prompt responses will make your customers feel valued and respected—and help build loyalty as well!
3. Be respectful: It’s easy for businesses to treat their customers like faceless statistics on spreadsheets or special offers in the mail; don’t do that! When talking with customers—whether in person or online—remember who you’re dealing with: actual people who are spending their hard-earned money on your products/services because they believe in what you’re doing. This means showing empathy when dealing with complaints or problems. Remember that every person has different needs and values, so no two experiences are exactly alike!

Next, here are two critical steps to make certain you grow your most valuable asset – your customers!

Step 1: Define your focus. The goal is to be known for ultimate customer experiences.

The first step is about defining your focus. What makes you distinct from the competition, and how can you use that difference to set yourself apart? You want people to remember your brand in a positive way—for example, “If I need something fixed on my car, I go see Mark. He knows all about cars and always takes great care of me!”

To define your focus, you must be clear about who you are and what you do. This might sound obvious, but it’s not as easy as it appears. Many businesses don’t know exactly why they exist or how they fit into the marketplace.

To find out, first make certain you can answer these three questions in a manner that will be compelling to customers:

1. What do I want to be known for?
2. How can I use my strengths to help me stand out from the competition?
3. What one word would people use to describe me?

Step 2: Stay connected with your customers. The goal is to remain top of mind and create an emotional connection with customers through social media.

The goal is to remain top of mind and create an emotional connection with customers. One critical method for achieving this is through social media. You can do this by:

• Listening and responding to customer comments on your social channels.
• Sharing helpful tips, stories, or promotions through your social channels.
• Building relationships with customers by responding in a prompt and personal way when they reach out via email or direct message (DM).

Commit to becoming known for exceptional customer experiences and staying connected with customers to keep them coming back.

The Ultimate Customer Experience® is the key to success, and not just because it can turn a one-time customer into a repeat client. It’s also the best way to keep your existing customers coming back.

According to a survey by Zendesk, 89% of customers say they would become more loyal if their issues were resolved quickly. If you want customers coming back again and again, make sure you resolve issues quickly — better yet, prevent them from happening in the first place!

Deliver the Ultimate Customer Experience® – and create distinction through your focus on uniqueness – then watch your most precious asset…your customers…continue to grow in value.