Did you know that focusing on increased customer retention by only 5% can result in a huge increase of profits? Or that it can cost 5x more to acquire a new customer than to keep an existing one?
Prioritizing customer satisfaction can bring huge benefits to your business and bottom line; not only will it help you hold on to existing customers—those satisfied customers are more likely to leave positive reviews and recommendations for your products. So, how do you work to improve customer satisfaction and customer retention? A good starting point is to ensure your clients will be successful when using your products. Here are three tips to achieve that.
Give Your Customers the Tools They Will Need to Succeed
When you sell your product to a client, you shouldn’t simply hand over the item and call it a day: it’s essential to give end-users the tools they will need to succeed. Informing clients helps ensure that they use your product to its full potential, as it is intended to be used, and that they don’t accidentally do anything that could damage their new purchase or put themselves at risk. This is where operating manuals come in.
An operating manual includes all the information your customers need to know to effectively use a product. This documentation should be unique to every item you sell and not be simply pulled from a generic template.
Depending on your product, business, and industry, your operating manual may include some or all of these parts:
- Navigational elements such as a table of contents, tools for internal and external references, targeted headings, and intuitive content layout
- Product information, including diagrams, specifications, definitions, and applicable industry terms
- Content that prominently supports safe use of the product such as warnings, safety procedures, and definitions of any safety labels or symbols
- Procedures that elaborate on proper use of the product, such as training instructions, initial setup processes, shutdown, troubleshooting, maintenance, and disposal protocols
- Your business contact information, including support website pages for additional assistance
Be There When They Need Assistance
Your customer may have questions about the use of the product after the purchase, even with the inclusion of an operating manual. These could include questions about unconventional usage, industry-specific applications, repair, technology support, or available upgrades or features.
Ongoing support is essential if your company seeks to earn return clients and growth. When asked, 75% of people responded that they would return to a company that provided standout customer service. Do you have a strategy in place for excellent customer service, even after they’ve bought from you?
Listen to Feedback
To keep improving your product, operating manual, and business, your company should be listening to feedback from your customers and responding appropriately. If clients regularly ask a question about general use of a product, it may be because you forgot an important fact in your manual and it needs an update. Feedback can also help you offer upgrades, new services, new uses for your product, and better customer service: all increasing customer satisfaction and retention.
If you’re not getting enough feedback on the product or customer service, try reaching out to your clients for their opinions and ask how satisfied they are with their purchase and experience with your company. This is also a great way to earn positive testimonials!
Customer satisfaction is absolutely essential if you want to keep on track for business growth. The way to do this is to make sure your customers are satisfied and that they have the tools and resources they need to achieve success with your product. By listening to feedback, you can constantly improve your internal processes and products to fit your customers’ wants, needs, and expectations, increasing sales and profits.
Are you struggling to write your operating manual, unsure what to include, or want to be certain it protects your customers and your company? We’re here to assist you with the process. Discover our different offerings when it comes to technical writing, manuals, procedures, and more by visiting our services page.
