The 20th of January marked this year’s first ‘Get to Know Your Customer Day’. The day occurs four times a year, on the third Thursday of each quarter (January, April, July, October) and serves as an important reminder for all businesses to reflect on their own service and consider what more they can do.
The way in which organizations interact with their customers has changed a lot in the last twenty years or so (and even more significantly in the last two years during the course of the pandemic). The vast majority of transactions now take place online or over the phone as opposed to in person, and customers are increasingly demanding more flexibility.
So as we navigate through 2022, how can we adapt business practices to better meet the changing needs of our customers?
Prioritizing service
Good business is synonymous with good customer service and at the heart of quality service is knowledge of your customers and their requirements. By gaining a deep understanding of the needs your business is trying to fulfill, you are better able to adapt your business model to fill that niche.
For the data center industry this is particularly important. By creating an open dialogue with customers, providers are better positioned to prioritize the most pressing demands, such as flexibility and transparency. Organizations working in the data center industry need to turn their attention to optimizing controlled infrastructure environments which allow customers to self-serve through automated applications.
It pays to talk
It’s perhaps one of the most overused phrases, but it really does pay to talk. Through ongoing conversations with customers, businesses can become more familiar with the expectations and needs they are hoping to fulfill. This way, they can provide accurate cost estimates and create SLA’s that get to the core of customers’ needs.
In the data industry, customers are now increasingly aware that any reputable provider should be willing to put in the time and effort to get to grips with the ‘ins and outs’ of their business. This means spending the time to understand expected data usage and any maintenance requirements. If you can demonstrate this level of attention, customers will take note.
Customer lead service
Finally, one of the biggest changes organizations must adapt to is the changing nature of the business-to-customer relationship. More and more services are now being driven by the end-user. The pandemic changed almost every aspect of what customers expect from their service providers and, in the coming months, suppliers will be forced to adapt their services and products to suit the changing demands.
Providing tailored, relevant and easy to navigate service resources are instrumental in delivering great customer experience.
The best relationships are partnerships
The best customer service comes from understanding that the most effective way to treat your customers is as a valued partner. These relationships don’t spring up overnight, it takes time, effort and understanding on both sides to provide effective, long-term service, but it is worth it.