On the surface, it might seem like most people develop their perception of your business based on their direct, personal experiences. You’d think that if someone hasn’t done business with your company, they probably don’t have much of an opinion. Unfortunately, that’s not true, and people form strong customer opinions about businesses even before they’ve made a purchase. Sometimes these customer opinions are positive, but they can also be negative.
Positive opinions are great because they often result in 5-star online reviews. However, negative customer opinions can lead to complaints on social media and bad 1-star reviews, which can seriously tank your business.
It’s impossible to prevent people from forming a negative perception of your business, but when you know what shapes a customer’s opinion, you can exercise a little more control over the outcome.
Here’s a list of 4 key (moldable) factors that influence how customers form their opinions about your business.
1. Delivery experiences
Customers absolutely form opinions about companies based on their delivery experiences, whether good, bad, or in-between. Today’s customers expect fast delivery times, even if a product is highly customized. We can all thank large corporations for setting this bar so high because they have pretty much made 1-2 day delivery a standard expectation.
Last mile logistics are crucial in creating customer satisfaction, so it’s imperative that you make your partner and technology choices wisely. For example, using routing technology is a requirement for getting your drivers to their destinations on time. It’s no longer acceptable to give drivers a set route to take because it’s not going to be as efficient.
Each day, your drivers’ routes need to be calculated based on the day’s scheduled deliveries to ensure optimal efficiency and avoid late or missed deliveries. Customers will form negative perceptions about your business if a delivery is late based on its projected arrival or if it takes too long to arrive.
2. The quality of your product or service
Of course, customers are going to judge you based on the quality of what you sell. If products or services meet or exceed their expectations, they’ll form a positive opinion of your business. If you deliver subpar products or services, customers will be disappointed.
3. Customer service experiences
Chances are, at some point, many of your customers will need to contact your company to get support for something simple or complex. Some people will want to know your return policy, while others will need help using your product or service. This interaction must be smooth and easy for the customer. If interacting with customer support is frustrating, you can expect to form negative customer opinions about your company.
Avoid these common frustrating experiences with customer support:
- Long wait times when calling support
- Forcing customers to speak to a bot rather than a human
- Multiple transfers to different agents
- No way to leave a voicemail after hours
- Agents that read from an obvious script and don’t listen to the customer’s inquiry
- Tickets that take a week or more to resolve
- Agents who blame the customer and are inflexible
On the contrary, an easy experience with your customer service reps will make customers feel good. When you can solve their issue easily, they’ll feel taken care of and valued as a customer. This is precisely the type of experience that will earn you more 5-star reviews.
Incorporate the following into your customer support process for optimal satisfaction:
- Quick response times to tickets (same-day responses if possible)
- Responses from knowledgeable and resourceful staff who can resolve the issue fast
- Train agents to listen to a customer rather than read a script
- An easy support request system, whether it’s online or on the phone
- Empathetic agents who understand that customers can make mistakes, but they go the extra mile to please them and make things right anyway
The better you can make your customer service experience, the happier your customers will be, which contributes to a positive perception of your business.
4. Delivery of promises
Delivering on your promises will make customers see you in a positive light. If you fail to honor any of the promises in your ads, you can expect some backlash. However, if you fail to deliver on perceived promises, even if they weren’t stated or even implied, that’s where things can get a little wonky.
It’s important to make sure all of your ads and promotional content accurately depict what you’re selling without creating any implicit promises.
You can influence how others perceive your business
While you don’t have complete control, you can sway customer opinion to a large degree simply by providing top-quality products and amazing customer service.
Featured image provided by Andrea Piacquadio; Pexels; Thanks!
