Latin America. Jeff Coco, Senior Manager – Technical Services at Axis Communications, recently stated that today, developing a good relationship with customers goes beyond meeting their needs. Building an important foundation of trust that results in a positive synergy of collaboration can be a difficult task, as good relationships are critical because they establish an element of partnership that requires a genuine connection between an organization and its customers.
According to a study, globally only 13% of customers feel fully involved in their business relationships with the companies with whom they conduct business. This is somewhat alarming considering that the level of engagement is a true indicator of how well companies work together. Relationships are not always based exclusively on the prices of the products and services offered.
Given this panorama, it is inevitable to ask if companies are fully committed to their customers? Several factors help businesses determine whether or not they are associated with the right company and how this drives the long-term sustainability of that relationship:
1. Low staff turnover: As the labor market and economy around the world is constantly improving, companies are faced with the difficult scenario of keeping their best employees. A high turnover of trained employees affects the proper functioning of companies, but what is often overlooked is that this loss also directly harms customers. Forming a strong relationship between companies may involve, at a minimum, interacting with other employees to identify areas of cooperative growth, improve collaboration and communication where needed. Now, if the level of interaction simply doesn't go beyond the buying phase, that doesn't mean there aren't opportunities to strengthen the relationship. Much of what maintains a strong business nexus are employees on both sides.
2. Specialized technical assistance: A balanced technical support, includes different channels and a team of specialists who understand how these tools can help customers, this feature in turn becomes a strong differentiator among the competition. In addition, companies must invest in their staff and work to be at the forefront of new support trends so that any employee can exceed customer expectations. A wide range of tools available to users can include: call center, live chat, frequently asked questions (FAQ), video/audio tutorials, product page, technical troubleshooting guides, plus firmware and software downloads. Companies that offer balanced technical support adhere to more holistic and customer-oriented support procedures.
3. Innovative management processes: Most care centers determine the performance of their staff only if they reach certain key metrics. It is necessary to be aware that customers are increasingly self-sufficient when trying to solve technical problems; they would rather search some FAQ page than take time talking on the phone. Companies that measure the performance of their executives or technicians solely by call duration or other metrics are doing direct damage to their services. It is advisable to interact with companies that have different processes that guarantee quality in customer service.
4. Future investment: Companies that prioritize investment in research and development are not only more likely to introduce innovative and higher quality products to the market, but also to provide comprehensive technical support. This in turn generates a "skills matrix" that develops specialized personnel capable of meeting any emerging needs for clients.
In conclusion, it is important to remember that trade relations are closely linked to economic growth; these have acquired a much broader sense, since the globalization in which all companies live the demand, it is also important to have a high competitiveness in products and services, as well as the companies themselves, it is necessary to maintain both the demands and the expectations of the market that are constantly changing and updating. For this it is of vital importance that companies have not only regional competitiveness, but also that they are able to cover the needs of the foreign market, in this case companies must make use of the techniques and tools provided by commercial relations. That well employed constitute a power within any company.
