Four ways to meaningful connections without breaking the bank

Photo by Vlad Bagacian

It is vital to remain meaningful for your customers in a world driven by efficiency, standardization, and digitization. How to stay relevant to your customers? Here are four tips to help you. 

Tip # 1: Anticipate non-standard situations up front

Standardization and digitization have brought us much good. But not perfection. Unexpected, unpredictable, and unknown situations persist. The pitfall is to continue offering standardized services in non-standard cases.

In those moments, customers feel misunderstood and unserved.

Anticipate non-standard situations in advance to make a positive difference—the cases where direct interpersonal interaction is essential. Empower your employees to work out a solution with a customer. Sometimes, resolving what did not go well the first time, using knowledge, skills, experience, and networks to help customers achieve their goals.

Tip # 2: Organize personal contact if digital doesn't work

Everything predictable and repetitive can be standardized. And for everything that you can standardize, there is a digital solution.

As long as the digital solutions meet customers' demands, customers are satisfied. Dissatisfaction arises when the solution does not fit customers. Or it turns out differently than expected.

In these circumstances, personal contact is necessary to work out solutions based on mutual trust, understanding, and empathy.

Tip # 3: Let customers experience care and attention

From one person to another, you make a difference in your own life and the lives of others. Your life takes on more relevance when you can be meaningful to someone else - in whatever form.

Customers show their appreciation for this via, for example, NPS scores. With service providers who structurally receive a high customer rating, customers experience personal connection, care, and attention. You can only achieve these results as a service provider if you commit to your customers.

Tip # 4: Be inspired by the broad impact of meaningful services

Finally, the last tip is from my firm belief. Meaningful services create a working environment in which people experience that they help others. And an environment in which customers feel that they are served and understood. You cannot underestimate the positive side-effect of looking at services this way. It uses the natural strength, talent, and needs of people. It addresses people their intrinsic motivation to be relevant and meaningful. And in the larger perspective, it contributes to a more equal and respectful way we interact with each other and the world.

Do you want to know more about how to stay relevant for your customers or how to implement these four tips? Subscribe to our newsletter or contact us directly.