Creating a Positive Client Experience

Think about the worst customer service experience you've ever had.

When I was asked this question, it took me two seconds to think of mine. Bad customer service experiences stick with me, and I'm sure I'm not alone in this! So, when we are the ones in charge of the customer service and customer relationship management (CRM), we have to really be on top of our game and be sure to create the most positive experience we can for our clients. The last thing we want is to be someone's answer to the question above!

Let me start by saying, CRM is HARD. Creating a positive client experience through every step of the process is HARD, especially when you have more than one client! It's such a process that has many perspectives, that constantly be improved.

Here are some ways you can better your client experience -

Outline all Expectations

When you onboard, one of the things you should include and discuss is the expectations you have for each other. Not only should you clearly state what they should expect from you, but you will probably have expectations of them, too. This not only creates establishes those expectations, but it also can help you stick to them. For example, I should send over the next week's content schedule sometime during the week and they ask me on Tuesday and Thursday when I'm going to send that over, it is going to be a huge difference from "I will send you the next week's content schedule every Tuesday by 5pm via email, if you could look them over by Thursday."

Communication

Some believe that constant communication will work best, our take: consistent communication works best. Your client is busy, that's why you're here to help take some of the weight off their shoulders. They might not have time for a phone call a day and 20 questions. Instead, establish consistent communication processes that you both can rely on. This might look like a weekly update email, a monthly recap meeting, or even a quarterly review. It's all about finding what works best for both of you and it should be outlined in the expectations.

Transparency

I'm sorry if I sound like an early 2000's Disney show when I say this, but moral of the story: honesty IS the best policy. How annoying is it when someone says something you know is a lie, just to try to save face. The truth about being transparent, most people would just prefer to hear what's actually happening instead of taking in all the fluff. If you make a mistake or an issue arises that you don't know the answer to, go with honesty no matter how difficult the situation may be. Chances are, they will probably find out the truth one way or another, so it's best to go with it right away. Plus, establishing trust is so important with your customer, you don't want a lie to breakdown all the trust you created.

Focus

We cannot express the importance of putting focus on each client! No matter how many clients you have, it can be so beneficial to spend time focusing on one client at a time, this is where block schedules can be extremely helpful (link to the time management blog). One of the things we definitely recommend: never onboard more than one client at a time. Onboarding clients is quite the process and you need to be sure you are putting the correct amount of attention on them that they deserve right from the beginning.

Organization

This could be The Home Edit Binger in me talking, but being organized is something that will sincerely help you in every part of your business and CRM is certainly one of them. Project and customer management systems are definitely something to consider for growing businesses to stay organized. Even if now isn't the right time to invest in a system, you can find other ways to stay organized - whether that's a OneDrive, Google Drive, or another method, keeping all your customer's information organized is a must.

Keep in mind that it's never too late to implement these techniques and improve your client relationship and experience. Your clients will notice these details in the long-run and will certainly appreciate them!

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