By Doug Brown

Customer satisfaction is that one thing that keeps your customers loyal to your company, and that creates repeat business. Smart companies are integrating Social Media into the mix and finding a 20% increase in customer satisfaction. Here are 4 basic steps you can take to promote customer satisfaction in your own business.

1. Be accessible on Social Media

Research had shown that nearly two-thirds (or more) of customers had used the company’s social media site for customer service. This highlights the importance of social media in customer service. Responding to customer inquiries on social media can greatly improve customer sentiment and enhance the appearance of quality service.

Social media allows customers to easily contact brands and engage with them. Customers will have a higher expectation of quality service if an event is perceived positively. Negative experiences, such as price increases, will lead to customers having higher expectations for quality care.

2. Be ethical

Ethics spans a number of things within business – everything from pricing and quality, to the management of returns and even social responsibility.

Nowadays, the market is saturated, and customers have a plethora of companies to choose from when shopping around for goods or services. To make your business stand out, it is important to provide something beyond the norm.

Right now, sustainability is a trendy watchword, and can help to elevate your business and the way that your customers feel about their purchases. Whether you offer recyclable goods and packaging, pledge to help an aid organization, or use recycled materials during production, your customers will feel satisfied that their purchase is an investment in the future, and not merely another boost to the wastage of consumption culture.

Moreover, this ethical stand needs to be reflected in your financial dealings. Do not overcharge for your products, accept returns without causing hassles and red tape, and show your company to be honest and fair in all your dealings. Basically, follow the age-old golden rule: be the company that you yourself would like to shop from.

3. Listen to your customers

The best way to truly cater to your customers is to listen to what they have to say, and the best way to gauge their opinions is through post-purchase feedback – even complaints – and customer surveys.

Every company will receive a complaint at some stage, but the customer who issued a complaint is not lost. The manner in which the company handles the complaint and deals with the customer will ultimately determine the customer’s final experience and satisfaction.

So listen closely to what the customer has to say, do your best to remedy the situation, and provide the best service you can in order to appease the customer. The way a complaining customer is treated will do much more for your reputation than a mistake ever will. Think of it this way: you order a pizza for delivery and the restaurant sends you the wrong order. You complain to the pizzeria. The restaurant apologizes, sends you the correct order, and gives you a coupon for a free pizza. Of course, …read more

Source:: Social Media Explorer

Author: Aaron