5 simple tricks to a long and happy relationship in both love and business!

On Valentine’s Day, everything revolves around love, and customer experience happens to be no exception.

In fact, customer experience can be liked to romantic relationships in many ways.

Check out these five tricks to a long and happy relationship in both love and business.

1) Listen!
It’s no secret that communication is the key to a healthy relationship. Not only do you need to give the other person a chance to speak their mind, but most importantly, you have to listen, respect their point of view, and do everything in your power to make them happy.

The same applies with your customers! Encourage them to use different channels (online surveys, discussion groups, etc.) to tell you about their experience with your company. Let them know that you’re listening and that their comments will have a real impact on your business decisions. Your customers have a voice and want to be heard.

2) Every moment and interaction matters
All conversations should be given equal treatment, whether they take place in the bedroom, on the phone, on social media, or elsewhere. Always be attentive and kind—maybe even playful—no matter what the context.

The same logic applies to communication between a company and its customers. It is vital to maintain consistency across all touchpoints. For all your employees, branches, and communications, the customer experience should always be the same. Your efforts will be rewarded with a greater sense of trust and loyalty among your customers.

3) Make thoughtful gestures
Everyone knows that it’s sometimes the littlest things that make the biggest impact. A gesture as simple as going to get a missing ingredient for dinner can win big brownie points. At the end of the day, the small things that make life easier can make all the difference.

Whether it takes a little or a lot of effort, do everything you can to make things easier for your customers. Is a customer looking for an ingredient? Ensure your products are easy to find by putting up signs or making sure employees are available to point them in the right direction and answer their questions. The less customers have to work to get what they need, the happier they will be with their experience and the better the chances of them coming back.

4) Surprise them when they least expect it
Planning the occasional surprise can be a powerful thing. It’s nice to get flowers on Valentine’s Day but, getting flowers after a tough week at the office is even better.

Surprises are equally important for customers. Over time, your customers will develop certain expectations for your company. Not only is it important that you meet those expectations, but every now and then you should also exceed them. Customers who feel valued are more likely to come back. Instead of flowers, consider surprising your customers with personalized gifts based on what they’ve purchased throughout the year. And don’t wait until customers are asking for your attention—be proactive! If you don’t satisfy your customers’ needs, someone else will.

5) Rough patches are normal but it’s important to put things right
All couples fight, but it’s how they rectify the situation that determines if their relationship will get back on track and go the distance.

The same goes for business relationships; you can’t be on perfect terms with all your customers all the time. Nonetheless, if there is a misunderstanding or you have an unhappy customer, it’s important to take action right away. In customer experience, ignoring detractors is one of the worst mistakes you can make. While some detractors may influence only their friends and family, others can do real harm to your brand. Whenever possible, aim to intervene quickly to try to save the relationship or, at the very least, keep the negative impacts to a minimum.

Just like love, customer experience is a full-time job. It takes making a constant effort if you want to make a difference in the market. That’s why implementing a CX culture at your company is an important step for ensuring a long-lasting relationship with your customers.

In closing, we’d like to take this opportunity to wish you success in love and business. We’ll leave you with one last tip: Treat every customer as if they were the love of your life!