Why Proactive, Not Reactive, Customer Service Drives Brand Loyalty

A customer becomes loyal to a brand when he gains faith in it. Faith comes into existence when he receives more than just service.

The best way to win a customer is to know what could bother him before he himself becomes aware of it. It means knowing about the need before its arrival. And if you could understand the need and deliver the service beforehand then this is called Proactive Customer Service. Being proactive to service your customers makes the brand loyalty more possible.

Customer Service: Outbound or Inbound

Suppose a customer wakes up in the morning and after checking his smart phone he sees that the service of his phone’s network is about to expire on the same day. But the service provider didn’t give any prior information regarding that. The customer calls up the company and after dealing with a very complicated IVR, he reaches an agent who deliberately tries to sell him some other plans with not-so-promising benefits. Eventually the customer gets the service but he finds his faith waning towards the brand.

Another scenario would have been a little proactive approach towards the well-being of your customer service. Apprising the customer of what he might be looking for in the near future always makes the point that you care. Reach your customers before they reach you.

How Can I Help You: A Clichéd Term

This is the most clichéd question in the field of customer service. And most of the time this question is asked when a customer reaches the agent after already facing a problem. This is a reactive approach. This scenario should change. A proactive approach will make your customer more amenable towards your brand.

An approach made by an agent with some relevant information never deters a customer. But not reaching a customer in times of need definitely puts a blot on the brand. So keeping in touch with your customer through various channels is necessary, to expand his awareness orbit to make the brand approachable and friendly.

Meeting Expectations and Going Beyond

Warren Buffet once said that “Price is what you pay, value is what you get.”

So from the customer’s perspective, value is everything. This should be given the very first priority. Or at least be vigilant that without value, all efforts to retain a customer will be in vain. Although the customer’s sense of value may vary gradually with the development of the product, keeping track of that sense is necessary. Again, customer service becomes an important tool for this. A happy customer has satiated expectations and a sense of excellent customer service received.

Proactive Approach Makes Your Brand Dynamic

A brand that is dynamic keeps improving itself via innovations and changes. Based on customer feedback, innovative changes bring a very positive and progressive message to the customer. Brand loyalty doesn’t stay there for long if the brand isn’t constantly working on itself. Customer retention is more necessary that winning new customers. If the customer has an understanding that the brand stays awake to provide the best service, then there is no doubt that the customer will remain loyal to the brand. Loyalty is just another term for being understood.

Customer Service: It’s not a Noun but a Verb

Loyalty towards a brand depends on its dynamicity. Your customer relationship is only strengthened if one way or another a customer is given some relevant and meaningful information. Don’t forget that your customer is holding on to your words of assurance that have the true essence of service. Just be proactive and you will definitely hear only the best feedback about your brand from your own customers.

Author: Vipul Srivastav is an Editor at Call Center Hosting. Clouds have always fascinated him. For the same reason, he loves to explore and share his understanding and ideas related to cloud-based innovations. He writes about contemporary subjects as well.