The interesting thing about customer engagement is that the needs of the customer are not that different from the needs and expectations of a human being in general. The six points that you are going to read here will be based on those fundamental principles of human need and most customer-centric businesses usually build their business policies and practices around them.

Royalty free photo

Value

Every business values their customers because it’s natural and obvious, but the customer needs to feel that as well. Something as simple as a smiling cashier or a familiar and helpful attendee at an apparel shop can make a customer feel valued. The idea is to make them feel like you care for them beyond just the imminent purchase.

Efficiency

A business that delivers fast and delivers well will always be preferred by customers and it’s a way to make them understand that you value their time as well. Employ measures that speed up the process of the business that you are in. Take a cue from banks and airlines who have implemented self-service points at various stages to facilitate those customers who are in a hurry.

Consistency

Inconsistency is synonymous with insecurity. Most customers, and human beings, in general, are apprehensive of change. This doesn’t mean that you cannot introduce changes to your present business layout; it only means that if you have built your reputation by doing something for a long time, you should not make any drastic changes that might create insecurities in the minds of your present customers.

Trust

One of the most important factors when it comes to business relationships is trust. The question is, how do you build that trust? Well, there are many ways to go about it, but perhaps the most effective way is to make them feel like there’s a safety net for them, should something go wrong. In other words, reliable after-sales service is what builds trust and reputation.

Relevance

Relevant business and marketing communications show the customer that you have taken the time to determine what they might find useful. It goes a long way towards instilling the sense of value and efficiency which we discussed earlier. This is why individual customization is fast becoming a necessary part of marketing itself.

Control

Finally, we come to the previously unconsidered element, that is the decision to put control in the hand of the customer. There are basically two aspects to it, as follows.

  1. Marketing – When the customer is given control over how much and what they receive in the form of business communication.
  2. Business – Allowing the customers to choose only what they need, instead of the whole package.

Control has also gained importance recently because customers are now more aware of the market than ever, and if they feel they are in charge of making their own decisions with a certain business, they will stick to it because, by nature, everybody loves control.

While these points will help you determine and structure your customer engagement strategies, to implement them in the real world is a whole new ball game altogether, and this is where 89degrees.com comes in.

They have been putting these six elements into practice and expanding upon them to help their clients achieve success for decades now. Together with your knowledge of the business and their knowledge of customer engagement and management, it could make for a very prosperous future.