In blogs past, we’ve pointed out that today’s society isn’t exactly made up of people who enjoy waiting. We’re so used to being able to locate what we want right away, that the idea of waiting for what we want has become foreign. Take television, for example. Only in recent years has the term “binge watching” become popularized. Why? Because viewers now have the option of watching several episodes of their favourite shows in a row through services like Netflix.
In other words, waiting a week for a show’s next episode isn’t always necessary anymore. It doesn’t always work this way, however. There are simply certain things that customers will have to wait for. When it comes to your company, providing particular products and services may take time. For example, you may have to manufacture a unique product before it can be delivered. Or, your service team may have several commitments to fulfill before visiting your new client’s issue.
So how can you make it so that your customers are willing to experience the wait times? Here are five ways to have your customers wait without worry:
1. Clearly communicate your commitment to your customers. Be sure to explain that the wait times experienced by your customers are not out of the ordinary. It’s important to communicate that you sympathize with their needs for urgency and that you intend on delivering on your word at the earliest possible date. If a customer expresses a dire need for your product or service, make sure you are communicating that you are working diligently to meet that need.
2. Publicly establish your dedication to quick delivery. Make your sense of commitment to your customers a part of your brand’s advertising strategy. For example, communicate on your website that you are dedicated to expedient service. This may be the kicker that encourages customers to come to you over your competition. The idea that you make quick delivery a priority can help put you over the top.
3. Train your staff to all exhibit patience and understanding. In many cases, one’s ability to show empathy is the reason a company is able to retain a distraught customer. Remember that when people expect to receive their ordered products and services quickly, they will generally get angry when told they they’ll have to wait. What’s the best way to communicate that a waiting period is necessary? Cool, calm and collected conversations by well-trained phone reps will do it.
4. Make money-back guarantees. If you’re absolutely confident that you can stick to your delivery dates, it’s wise to give yourself an extra day or two when informing your customers about such arrival times. That way, you stand the chance of delivering on your promises “early”. This helps to gain greater trust from your customers. When you stick to your word by offering money-back guarantees, customers will be a lot more likely to happily wait for their orders to arrive.
5. Keep customers in the loop. Use every mode of communication that you see fit to let your customers know that you haven’t forgotten them. You can send emails to inform customers that their deliveries are on the way. This will help to ease some of the anxiety that comes with waiting for a package to arrive or a service to be hooked up. Of course, you can also put in phone calls to keep your customers informed of what’s happening with their orders.
MeloTel’s Commercial Phone Services make it easy to communicate with your customers. They come with a rich set of features that enable you to service your customers in ways that traditional landlines don’t allow. For more information, please don’t hesitate to contact us at 1-888-MELOTEL or use the “Live Chat Support” feature on our website!
