Business is about creating and maintaining customer relationships. But what is a relationship? It means communication. If you ask people in a work setting, "What would improve work, profits and customer service
most where you work?" answer is almost always "Better communication!" Communication plays a vital part in success or failure of any business.But what communication tool is used most frequently in world? Internet, e-mail, TV, radio? Definitely not! The most essential communication tool is a phone and hardly any business works without a phone. And whenever you are in contact with people by a phone regarding your business, it is also a representation of your business.
Sounds good, huh? But important question occurs, "What is effective way to improve communication via a phone?" The computer-based answer (I am a programmer, not a psychologist) is personalization of your customer with call center.
Learn Something New about Your Customer Constantly. A successful marketing campaign starts with a keen understanding of your customers. When you are curious (not snoopy!) about people who call you, you are giving them respect. People love to be respected! Find out how their family is doing, or more about their favor hobby. If you know your customers more personally than employees of your competitor know their customers, it's easier to delight them.
Build a Customer Database. A centralized database is essential to delivering a unified view of customers and contacts. That is goal number one. Create a personal data warehouse about your customers on your PC. Keep track of your contacts made with customers via a phone. If you know when your customers called and what information they searched for or how many times they've called about a particular product, that lets you track customer behavior. If you know this, you can respond to your customers effectively and efficiently.
Transmute Your Computer and Phone into Call Center. Have you ever heard about call center? I suppose you automatically think that it is something extra expensive and complicated. And it is just for "big boys" like Sony, SAP, Dell and other Fortune 100 companies. But what is a call center (I prefer term "contact center")? As a rule this service includes contact management tools, telephony integration and tools personalizing every customer interaction. Great! You have same: a phone, a customer database and contact manager software (see below). What hinders you to make your own small contact center right now, which is increasingly at heart of your company's day-to-day interface with its customers. By recording and analyzing calls and other interactions between your contact center and its' customers you can listen to and act on customer feedback to improve you skills and business processes, leading to improved customer service - and hence customer loyalty.
