We jump into entrepreneurship and one lesson we learn from veterans is that all customers are important no matter their age, sex religion, attitude or opinions.
If you believed otherwise then it’s time to stop discriminating and start treating all of them equal.
Every business meets all the types of customers we will discuss in this post—the loyal, the one-time buyers, the window shoppers, the discount seekers, the doubtful, the nit-picking – so get used to this assortment anytime you begin targeting any market.
It’s normal, so you don’t have to feel out of place when things go south and angry customers are threaten to bring you down. It happens, even to world-known brands, they suffer cyberattacks where (data for) millions of clients are compromised but they weather these storms and get back on their feet.
So how can you ensure you stay on top of all customer complaints and always end in win-win situations?
The Best Way to address all Customer Issues
Retailers fear nitpicking clients and the dubious Thomas’s who question without the intent to purchase. Angry and aggressive customer who threaten to bring your business down for a slight mistake can be a nuisance.
But savvy business owners understand that the best way to deal with all types of customers is to exercise total exuberance and remain positive regardless of a customer’s comments and opinions.
It helps you handle the toughest of issues. Be confident when someone points out your shortcomings, and show that you are willing to better your services or products to fit your clients’ needs.
Always exercise the following virtues when dealing with customers
- Confidence; don’t let fault-finding customers put you down. Show that you are out to improve and you trust your brand.
- Empathy; show sympathy when dealing with customers. Say sorry, express concern.
- Honesty; tell the truth. Lying ruins business-customer relationships.
- Time-consciousness; be swift in your responses, understand that your customer is on a schedule, just like your business.
- Reason; apply logic in all situations, offer a discount only if it won’t affect your bottom line.
- Be a problem-solver; at the end of the day, solve the client’s issue. If your business does not have the solution to their problems, be kind and refer them to another service, they may remember your kindness someday and come back when they need you.
The Types of Customers that May Visit Your Business
Meet the various kinds of consumers.
1. Prospective Clients
Potential buyers are would-be customers looking to purchase a specific item but haven’t decided on the brand to purchase from.
These shoppers know what they are looking for and may compare your product/service with your competitor’s during contact.
You can leverage live chat software to invite a visitor and indulge in a long and detailed conversation with them concerning your product.
This is the time to announce your brand as unique and accept customer criticism without feeling inferior to competing products. It is the chance to show your prowess and convert a doubting customer into a loyal buyer.
To deal with these types of customers, you have to eliminate friction in the customer journey, optimize your website’s user-friendliness, describe your products in detail, communicate effectively, create clear policies, and make the checkout process easy and secure.
2. Impulsive buyers
These are shoppers who are out for a fast and efficient buying experience without much inquiry unlike their prospective counterparts.
A spur-of-the-moment buyer makes a purchase without a second thought. They are quick and eager to buy as long as they need your product, are impressed with it and believe they will receive their item in one piece.
According to a research, millennials of ages 18 to 24 years made nearly half (49%) of spontaneous purchases last year.
But a website must have what it takes to drive spontaneous purchases. Stores that record most spontaneous purchases have some things in common.
Clear communication; detailed product descriptions; hassle-free products selection; and a fast, easy and secure checkout process.
3. Newbie Customers
Retailers think that a customer purchase and product delivery marks the end of deal. Most of them forget that a new customer is like a newbie, they have to be assisted when they have problems using your product.
The best entrepreneurs even follow up to confirm if the customer is enjoying the service or product or facing any difficulties using it.
Ecommerce makes follow-up difficult, but only if the retailer does not make good use of the available tools such as help desk systems to improve the quality of their support operations.
Prepare your agents to answer to all new customer queries in a satisfying manner, or refer them to a senior agent for complete problem resolution.
Most new customers will reach out if the item is not operating, not operating as marketed, has difficulty operating the product, or the item is functioning below expectations.
You can only solve the above problems if you use multichannel support. Today’s customer reach out through different channels so you better furnish your support team with the right resources.
Focus on tools that allow for quick problem resolution, real-time communication, and personalized assistance.
Provide detailed self-help materials and FAQ resources to help your staff train your newbies.
4. Discount Seekers
We know them, customers who are always seeking for discounts. They always want to buy during offers and deals or at the least, at a slight price cut.
These shoppers visit during holidays, when you have offers, when you have discount deals or when you’re shipping for free. They also wait for product rollouts when prices are relatively low.
Because you cannot organize discounts all the time, it makes more sense to offer such shoppers some value addition by extending their warrant, shipping for free or any of the approach you see fit.
5. Loyal Customers
Customer loyalty is difficult to earn. It is even more difficult to keep after working so hard to earn it. In essence, maintaining customer loyalty is a continuous process.
Failure to maintain an honest, value-adding, and close personal relationship with your loyal buyers can lead to lost trust.
Loyal shoppers also advocate for your brand so you don’t want to lose these useful promoters who will refer other customers to your store.
In Conclusion
All types of customers are important to a business, they all play a critical role in driving your brand forward as long as you learn and master how to deal with each group and its growing pains.
