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General Rules: How to Communicate With Your Customer?

Contributed article by Thomas Jackson

  

Every interaction with your customer is an opportunity for you to learn more about them and what they need from you. But how can we do that? How can we make sure our customer service reps have the information they need to answer questions, take orders, and process returns?

The answer: Create a general set of rules for customer communication. These rules should guide each interaction between your customers and brand. They are simple ways of ensuring everyone understands what’s being said or written, and vice versa, at every step.

Why is it Important to Communicate with Customers Appropriately?

Communicating with customers appropriately can be very important for success. Customers need to feel heard and understood when dealing with businesses.

When businesses respectfully communicate with customers, they are more likely to be satisfied with the experience and return to the company in the future. Communicating effectively can also help build a positive reputation for your business.

By learning about and understanding your customers, you can better serve and foster long-term relationships with them. This can be achieved through a variety of different tactics, including: 

• Regular chat sessions with your customers (via email, phone calls, etc.)
• Sending out regular newsletters and/or other marketing materials
• Using customer feedback tools (i.e., surveys) 

With that out of the way, here are some of the essential rules for communicating with customers;

I. Ask open-ended questions

It does help to ask open-ended questions when communicating with your customers to better understand their needs. You can also ask closed-ended questions, which tend to be more fact-finding.

Open-ended questions are more exploratory and will help you better understand your customers. Be sure to ask open-ended questions when communicating with your customers by email, phone, or social media.

Don’t ask yes/no questions unless that’s the type of information you’re looking for. Ask open-ended questions like, “Why do you feel that way?” or “Describe to me what happened.”

These types of questions encourage your customers to get more detailed with their answers. They allow you to learn more about the situation with a better understanding.

Open-ended questions also help you avoid assumptions about your customers and their needs. When you’re only asking yes/no questions, you might hear what you want to hear instead of what your customers are actually saying.

II. Always respond to unhappy customers

If you prioritize your customers’ experience in each aspect of your business, it’s important to always respond to unhappy customers too. You want to make sure you’re investigating their complaints and issues to see if there’s a way to solve the problem.

You also want to make sure you communicate with these customers to gather more information about their needs so you can adjust your business accordingly. Make sure you respond to unhappy customers in a timely manner.

If someone has left a review on your website or social media, respond to it within a few days to ensure that the customer knows you’ve seen their feedback. If someone has contacted your customer service team with a complaint, make sure you have a plan in place to respond to that complaint.

III. Don’t use jargon or slang

While you want to be friendly and welcoming with your customers, you don’t want to overdo it by using slang or jargon that only certain sectors of the population will understand. Be careful about the words you use, especially on social media.

When you use jargon or slang, you may be alienating customers who don’t understand your terminology. They probably won’t want to interact with your brand as a result.

Always use plain language when communicating in formal settings. If you want to use a word that isn’t the norm, make sure you explain what it means. If you can’t provide an explanation, don’t use that word.

IV. Use plain language in your marketing materials

Customer service and marketing should go hand in hand in an ideal setting. Avoid using words that are unnecessarily long or complicated. Use words that are easy to understand.

That includes everything from your website copy to your emails to your social media posts. You definitely don’t want your customers to have to stop and look up words on a regular basis.

Make sure the words you use are easy to understand. That way, your customers will be able to easily navigate your website and find the information they’re looking for. That makes it more likely for them to complete a purchase or sign up for your service.

V. Respond to words and phrases you hear most often

These words and phrases are important to your customers. They indicate what they like and don’t like about your brand.

Make a note of these phrases so you can use them in your communication. If you’re communicating with customers in person, you can make note of these phrases by writing them down or recording them.

It can be helpful to use a device like a voice recorder or digital pen, so you don’t have to try to remember everything you hear. If you’re communicating with customers online, you can use an app like Google Analytics to track the most common search terms people are using to reach your website.

Once you’ve gathered these words and phrases, you can use them in your communication. Use them in your marketing efforts, in your website copy, and in your customer service communication. The more you use these phrases, the more your customers will associate them with your brand.

VI. Offer personalized communication with your customers

Customize your communication with each customer. Make sure you’re providing a personal experience with each communication you have with a customer.

Your communication doesn’t have to be personalized in just one way. You can make sure your communication is personalized in different ways.

You can customize your communication by using the customer’s name in emails or social media posts where appropriate. You can also customize your communication by providing the customer with different options.

If you’re emailing a customer, let them know they can choose the best time for them to get a callback. If you’re scheduling a call with a customer, let them know the best time for them. Don’t just assume everyone works a standard 9-to-5 workday.

Summing up

Communicating with your customers is an integral part of any business. It lets you learn more about your customers’ needs, wants, and preferences.

It also helps you provide them with excellent customer service. Strive to ensure that your customers understand what you say.

Author Bio  

Thomas Jackson is a freelance content writer at EssayWritingLand and an active member of several dissertation writers clubs. He has also been creating songs since he was a child. Tom gets inspiration from the performances he does in front of close friends and family members.