Can you answer customer's questions before he asks them? Communicate with customers in a familiar way, or in a formal tone? How much time is necessary to answer the questions in the mail? How to make the customer happy and permanent?
We stuffed a lot of bumps in search of answers to these questions. Price error in communicating with the client is too big and rake that comes, sometimes gets the gold. But as a result we have gained invaluable experience and developed a strategy for communicating with customers, who now want to share.
Here is an excerpt from our internal document mandatory to study each manager novice in
Alconost. So, the 20 commandments of quality communication with customers:
General principles h4> Quick Reply
On writing the client responds quickly - ideally within one to two hours. If the reply to the letter takes time (for example, should be considered a long amount of text to be translated), not immediately respond to the client to acknowledge receipt of the letter and report the expected time, when we came back. For example, " Thank you for the document received. A detailed calculation can give during the day i> ".
Client-fifth grader
Treat customers as a child, little to understand our work. Remember, it is obvious that we can not be quite obvious to the customer. Describes in detail every detail, explains every action, avoid using highly specialized terminology.
to communicate with customers as a friend
Pathetic official syllable with long complex sentences - bad. This communication style distances us from the customers. And it's difficult to understand. Communicate with customers as friends for dinner. Simple phrases, short sentences. Information on the case, plus a bit of humor. Without undue familiarity and respect. Before you say something to the customer, think, would you do it in such a formulation is a friend or not.
How many questions, so many answers
Often clients in a letter asking several questions. But, unfortunately, very few of them draws questions as a numbered list. We need to do the job for them. Carefully "scans" the letter of the client, to isolate all the questions and answer them in the order in which they were raised. Forget to answer any question - minus our karma.
Questions list
If we need to ask a few questions to the client, it is better to issue them a numbered list to the client easier to isolate all the questions and give an answer to each one.
What is included
Describing the cost of the service, take it a rule to paint everything, everything that it includes even quite obvious. For example, in the cost of production included roller scenario development, voice, musical accompaniment.
Permanent contact
If the project is long and the client it is not involved (for example, on a week and a half we sat down for drawing graphs), it is important not to disappear, and remind yourself to the client every 3 days. Best of all, if it will be the interim results, which we assure the customer. But if there are no results, you simply " I recall we are actively working on the graphics video, the result will show through X days i>". Constant contact is very important.
Status Report
If the client requests in a letter to do something - not only to fulfill the request, and report back in the response letter.
Expressions
Even if the client allows himself inadequate statements, we never answered rudely. Instead, it is worth thinking about the reason for such behavior of the client and to take steps to address it. In dealing with customers emotions should not take precedence over reason.
24/7
Although each of the managers, translators and video menus have a working and non-working time, customers know about it is not: in the whole of the weekend no service is available 24/7, we adapts to the client, and the client does not adjust by itself.
The smell from the kitchen
And the client is not necessary to devote to the details of our work: sick video link, the editor of the national holidays in Spain, blizzards and blackouts translators around the world - all the smell of our kitchen should remain on it, customers do not need it. Client only need to know the result of how and when it will be solved the problem. Of course, in some cases without explanation can not do, decide on an individual based on their experience and feelings of the client.
Empathy and WOW h4> Do more than is required: Earn WOW
If you can easily do more than ask the client - always do. Imposition of translation, a short version of the movie, free voice pair of forgotten lines - it all worthwhile for us is not a lot, but wow is sincere in the heart of the client. The decision on the threshold that separates the "can do for free" and "it will increase the budget for the project," to make independent on the basis of common sense, your knowledge about the client and the advice of senior comrades.
Think of the client
Always try to put yourself in the place of the client. " I think your product is more suitable pulley how-to i>" or " I would recommend everyone to choose a Brazilian Portuguese i>". Anticipate the needs and concerns of customers and offer them a solution: " you may still need the translation of keywords for your page in the App Store i>" or " I think this clip can not be used for advertising in Facebook i> ".
Step Ahead
Analyzing the email client, always try to anticipate his next question and answer it immediately. Profit from this approach is twofold: reducing the number of letters, and the client is thinking, "Wow, these guys looked into my soul!". For example: a customer asked about the price of a movie, and you replied to him immediately and pricing, and payment method, and on the stages of payment.
Treat the customer the way you want others to do unto you services.
Communication by email h4> Seamless pickup
If colleagues have forwarded a letter asking "catch the customer" - to study in detail the entire history of correspondence and Catch client so that he did not notice that his project began to lead someone else. Try not to ask too many questions, the answers to which are in correspondence. If the letter is forwarded to a colleague - Ensure that goes along with a letter full comprehensive history, Kotra help colleague seamlessly pick up the client.
not change the subject line
In the course of correspondence can not change the subject line. Filtering in the mail client letters on the subject, people read the whole history of correspondence. If you change even one character in the subject line - the letter does not fall into this filter and lost.
However, if in the course of correspondence with the client the topic of conversation has changed dramatically - to start a new thread of correspondence with its own theme. For example, you can not discuss localization in the thread with the subject "video ready."
Talking theme
The topic should be such that, after five years, you could easily find it on the branch of correspondence.
Reply to all
Very often in the correspondence involves multiple destinations. In this case necessarily respond immediately to all recipients (reply to all button in your email client).
Summary and call to action
At the end of any letter summing resume and recalls what step you expect from a client. So you are "behaving" client need me the way programmiruesh his actions as necessary to you, and thereby facilitates his life.
Summary after talking on Skype
After a conversation on Skype certainly send a letter to the client with a summary of the conversation and the results to which you came. In this case, the information will remain in the history of correspondence and will not be lost.
The Last Word
Try to keep your letter was always last. Grateful for the fruitful cooperation and wish you success with the project or a nice weekend.
Source: habrahabr.ru/company/alconost/blog/229005/
