One of the key aspects of the success of any business is to provide good customer service to maintain their loyalty and, therefore, sales. Winning and keeping each of your clients is essential for you.
However, there are cases where freelancers find it difficult to keep clients or keep them coming back.
When this happens, it can be thought that it is the customer’s thing, that they simply found a cheaper provider and nothing more.
Although sometimes this is the case, the truth is that customers are not only looking for a good price, but also reliability, quality and good treatment, aspects that make them come back and that you can implement to improve the service you offer.
Giving good customer service is easier than you think and, as with everything, it only takes a bit of technique and discipline. Follow these 7 key aspects on how to improve customer service to win their preference.
1. Give a courteous and professional treatment
There is no better complement to quality work than friendly service. Make the customer feel well cared for. Always try to show yourself as a formal person who likes to listen to others.
To begin with, use courtesy words in your daily dealings such as: Please, I thank you, I think it’s an excellent idea, with pleasure, thank you very much, have a good day… Phrases that are so easy to say, but sometimes we forgot. Start practicing and using them again.
Whenever you talk to your client, try to have a pleasant gesture and tone of voice, even when speaking on the phone. If you’ve had a bad day, leave your bad mood for later and smile, it shows in your voice, even if they don’t see you.
Pay attention to what the client says, and if suddenly an idea of theirs doesn’t seem so good to you, let them know in a good way.
Never address him as if he doesn’t know anything he’s talking about, but rather say something like “it’s okay, but I think it could be improved if…” and explain your point.
Think that a positive attitude and communication will make your clients feel comfortable working with you. If you add good customer service to quality work, they will value your experience and advice even more, so they are more likely to want to return.
2. Always deliver the work on time
The trust that the client places in you to have quality work delivered on time is a point that you should not neglect for any reason. Make sure that the delivery date you promise is feasible to meet.
No matter how good your intention is to get the job done quickly, you must take into account that unforeseen events can occur in any project and that you always need a margin of safety, for any eventuality.
If you think that a job does not come out on the date requested by the client, explain the reason. This is not always the case, but there are occasions when the client can extend the delivery date if you explain from the beginning the process to follow so that the work is carried out correctly.
Finally, remember that being a freelancer, you must have self-discipline and not leave everything to the last minute. Follow a schedule and progress each project consistently so you don’t fall behind.
3. Give your client realistic expectations
Of course, whenever you present an offer or quote, you should talk about all the benefits that your work will bring to your client, but make sure that the results you promise are real and well-founded according to your experience.
Be sure to make it clear what the scope of your work will be: If it is a product, what functions it will fulfill; if it is a service, what impact will it have?
Example: If you’re working on a digital marketing campaign, specify an expected result parameter, something you can commit to.
Do not say things like “triple sales”, “double followers”, etc., if you are not sure that it will be so or you do not have a basis on which to support such a projection.
Explain in a logical way the prediction of results that you offer so that the client has an idea of what they will receive. Deliver on what you have promised and, better yet, try to exceed that expectation, so that when he wants to do a similar project again, he remembers how well it went with you and looks for you again.
* Learn the 6 steps to prepare a good job offer for your clients
4. Don’t disappear
Although there are times when you know that the work is going well, but the client is very insistent on delivering progress, do not be rude by not answering the phone or not responding to emails on time.
Part of giving good customer service is always answering your mobile or quickly returning calls, answering their chats, answering their queries by email, etc. In this way, the client will have the confidence that you are working on their project and that everything is going well.
If any unforeseen event arises for which you must remain disconnected for a couple of days, let them know in advance. If necessary, present a significant progress of the work so that you know you don’t have to worry.
No one likes to feel ignored, especially if they’re paying for a service, but if you feel like they’re putting unnecessary pressure on you, work out a schedule with them; then tell him what day you can talk again.
On the established day, before he calls you, you call him, informing him about the progress. This will help you feel cared for with the importance it deserves.
5. Be diligent when resolving comments
When a client presents you with an observation regarding the work you are doing, try to follow up as soon as possible.
If it is about changes to work, stay tuned and take note of everything the client tells you. Then, make a checklist so as not to leave anything out and start to solve point by point.
Of course, that does not mean that you should receive changes on a daily basis, for this, schedule review sessions with your client when you present your work proposal. Meet with your client and review the indicated changes one by one, showing them how you have corrected them.
*Read what to do for avoid losing money working freelance
6. Learn to handle complaints
If the customer complains to you or is upset for any reason, don’t get upset. Listen to him while remaining calm and try to pay as much attention as possible to what he says to you, not to his angry words, but to his needs.
The first thing you should do after listening to him is to agree with him, tell him that you understand him perfectly and apologize sincerely.
Put yourself in his shoes and tell him that you would be just as upset, even, that you don’t understand how something like that could have slipped by, but that you can and want to make it up to him. Then offer a solution that resolves his complaint while giving him something extra as compensation.
Have you heard that phrase that says that your worst client can be your best friend? If you resolve their complaints with kindness and by providing a solution that not only meets but exceeds their expectations, you might even get a good recommendation from them and they will come back for you.
After all, we can all make mistakes or unexpected errors can occur, but part of good customer service is knowing how to handle complaints in a good way, transforming disagreement into satisfaction.
If you succeed, you will gain many confidence points, since the client will see that even in the worst scenario you are capable of complying and delivering quality work.
*See how you can create your own online store to better serve your customers
7. Follow up with your customers
A mistake that can make you lose customers, even if you have served them well, is the lack of follow-up or forgetting to keep in touch with them.
To prevent this from happening to you, keep track of your clients in a diary and set reminders on your calendar to contact them regularly.
For example, if you called don Juan today, write down a new date on your calendar to do it again and when you call him again, write down a next one. The idea is to schedule communication with each one so that you don’t miss being in contact.
If your clients are many, implement a CRM system (Customer Relationship Manager or customer service manager) for easier handling of contact details and follow-up tasks.
On the other hand, you probably do a lot of talking with your client while you’re doing a project, but how about a post-sales call to find out how your work has worked out for them and what new projects they have in mind? Why not call to tell him that you have a new product or service that he might be interested in?
Effective follow-up includes post-sales calls and a email marketing strategywhere, in addition to offers and news, you deliver valuable content.
Create a blog where you publish news and topics of interest related to what your customers are looking for and share it with your customers by email.
*See how to find a good copywriter to help you with your blog.
Don’t forget to share your content on your Facebook, Twitter, etc. profiles. You can seek support from a digital marketing expert to help you, both with your mass email campaigns and with the implementation of an effective strategy in social networks.
If you have many clients and you feel that making your calls and writing emails takes a lot of time, you can hire the services virtual assistant to help you follow up, answer emails, answer the phone, answer questions, make post-sales calls, etc.
Taking care of your clientele and earning their preference depends on you. If you set out to improve customer service and keep up the compliance and good work, rest assured, they will always look to you. In addition, you will earn a good reputation and references that will make your job secure.
