Four Effective Ways to Cultivate a Better Experience For Your Customers

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Raise a virtual hand if, like me, you've left more than one store because an employee was too overbearing and eager to get a sale! I like to know that someone is available if I need them, but that I'll be left to shop peacefully until that need arises. However, not everyone has the same mentality and predicting customers' needs can be tricky. Thankfully, there are steps that businesses can take to ensure their customers' experiences run smooth and with a desire to return. Below are four effective methods to consider.

Ethically Source All of Your Products and Make Sure Everyone In Your Supply Chain is Being Paid and Treated Fairly

With the constant bombardment of advertising we face each day, one of the things that businesses can do to stand out is to create a cyclical business model that is helping both the people it employs and the planet. And simply saying you're doing this is not enough, transparency is vital. With the overall push for continuous growth (which is unsustainable), our planet has taken quite the hit, and it's on us to do everything we can to help put the brakes on the turmoil caused by just 100 corporations who show no signs of slowing down their devastation.

And along with the planet, the pandemic taught many of us to recognize our worth and accept nothing less. Many people finally became aware that they were producing, and thus creating, exorbitant profits for their employers, while they barely made enough money to survive. This is not acceptable and we must demand better.

More and more consumers are paying closer attention to the products and services they consume and are making better choices regarding how they spend their money. At the end of the day, you can rest assured that you're helping customers fulfill a need, as well as combating climate change and income inequality.

Pay Your Employees Thriving Wages and Provide Healthcare From Day One

You may be asking, "How does this correlate to enhancing customers' experiences?," but if you've ever worked a customer service job, you know exactly how the two are connected.

When an employee works reasonable hours, is treated with respect by their bosses and doesn't have to stress about paying bills or seeing a doctor because they can't afford the payment, their mentality is completely different and they are able to be fully present and jovial when interacting with customers. This happiness can trigger happiness in the customer and leave them feeling heard, important and wanting to patronize your business.

This isn't to say that employees won't ever have days that they're feeling down, just that overall the experience will flow better for everyone involved.

Hire a Social Media Marketer and Staff to Mitigate Your Business Online or Via Telephone

Most of us know the perils of frustration when all we want to do is speak with a human to get our problems resolved. While providing online FAQs can certainly be helpful, don't create hoops customers have to jump through to talk to a live person and not an automated message. Trust, this is a quick way to lose business. Instead, have staff in place that either work in-office or from home that are highly educated about your business and can provide instant feedback. 

Give Back to the Community

They say it takes a village. It's likely that if you have a brick-and-mortar store that when your business first began, you had an outpouring of community support that eventually allowed you to thrive. These people are important and should be rewarded, as well as any current communities that your business may be in if you've been successful enough to open multiple stores. If your store operates online, support the community you live in or spend the most time.

Unfortunately, we still live in times of massive income inequality, and individuals and families are oftentimes unable to keep up with bills or provide for their kids during the holidays, which can be really stressful. If you know of someone in your community that is struggling, help them. This does not have to be a spectacle, do it quietly. 

Is there something your community lacks that you could fund? A park? Playground? Library? Community center where kids can go to play sports and be mentored? If your neighbors or community members are looking to purchase a home, show them these houses for sale. Do everything you can to help your local community thrive. Be a safe space where people can hang out without making a purchase. These spaces are way too rare nowadays. This is what will bring you fulfillment and joy.