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We heart marketing as much as anyone. But let's face it: The arrow is usually pointed at prospective customers. There's nothing wrong with wooing new customers, of course. But showing love to current customers is just as important, and Valentine's Day is a perfect opportunity for small business owners to reveal what's in their hearts.
There are dozens of fun and creative ways to express your feelings on this holiday, and a full-featured call center software suite like Mitel MiCloud Connect Contact Center can help get your message across with minimal fuss. Small business owners and their teams can handle customer calls efficiently, while indulging their VIPs with a little something extra—all without missing a (heart)beat.
Here are four ways to show your customers some love, on Valentine's Day and beyond.
1. Make your customer's experience the center of your world.
Everyone wants to feel valued, particularly around Valentine's Day. When a customer calls in, it's critical that you give them your undivided attention. If your team is worried about finding contact records or scripts, they're not paying attention, leaving your customers feeling overlooked.
Keep the focus on the customer, and not shuffling application windows, with screen prompts and automated workflows that flow seamlessly from your CRM to your contact center solution. An integrated contact center solution, like MiCloud Connect Contact Center, can empower CRM-based workflows with in-call screen pops and recommendations to help your team stay engaged with your customers.
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2. Anticipate what your customers need with the right call center software.
Do you know your customer well enough to finish their sentences? Knowing what your customers need, even before they do, can help your customers feel like you truly "get" them—the basis of a fruitful relationship. Look at your data and reporting to understand customer pain points, past purchases and other behavior.
Consider reaching out to selected customers on "quiet" days to make sure a problem was resolved to their satisfaction or simply to thank them for their business. And if you're experiencing a service issue, contact them proactively and let them know you're working to resolve it.
3. Spread the love.
Your small business serves many different types of people, so be sure you don't limit your Valentine's efforts to the paired off. Thanks to NBC sitcom Parks and Recreation, Galentine's Day is now a popular way for ladies to spend February 13 celebrating their female friendships. And pet owners aren't about to let an opportunity pass to show their fur babies some love.
Tailoring your responses to and interactions with your customers builds stronger relationships and a better customer experience. Take advantage of the capabilities of an integrated, multi-channel customer experience solution like MiCloud Connect Contact Center to build user profiles and make custom offer recommendations based on what your customers like. And as always, meet your customers where they expect to find you, whether it's through email or web-based chat.
4. Partner for pampering experiences.
Today's shoppers are spending more on experiences, both for themselves and others. What's more, 36 percent of those who gifted an experience say they found their inspiration in a retail store, according to the National Retail Federation1. Cooking classes sold through a kitchenware or gourmet grocery store, for example, are a natural choice for a culinary experience. Spa services available through a bath and body product storefront are another good example.
36 percent of those who gifted an experience say they found their inspiration in a retail store, according to the National Retail Federation1.
If your business is rooted in products rather than experiences, consider partnering with others for a joint offer. Free movie tickets, passes to yoga classes and similar treats are guaranteed to be a big hit. Have these offers ready to go so that when any member of your team connects with a customer, they can easily share and give a great experience. Take that offer to the next level by delivering it in the method the customer prefers, be it email or chat, with a multi-channel call center solution, like MiCloud Connect Contact Center.
Baring your heart to your customers is fun and rewarding, but such campaigns also require some time and resources to manage. There's no need to go it alone, though. With the right customer experience software in place, reaching out to customers where they are—on email, via phone or on chat—is as simple and natural as Cupid pulling back on his bow.
And when the day is done, if you're using MiCloud Connect Contact Center to connect to your customers, real-time reporting will let you know whether your arrows found their targets. Best of all, there's little effort involved. So when February 14 rolls around, you'll spend less time managing your phone system and more time showing your customers some love.
1 Consumer View Winter 2019, National Retail Federation.
