Providing good customer service in your dispensary is a critical step towards making a sale. But what makes good customer service? Some customers prefer to be left alone to make a decision after receiving the facts they need while others require you to guide them every step of the way.
In an article written by Hubspot, they highlight a few different studies that show what the average person considers to be good customer service. Optical dispensing sales aren't always the easiest, so understanding your customers' shopping habits and knowing what keeps them happy in your dispensary will help lead to a more profitable season. Let's take a look at some of the facts we learned from Hubspot, and how you can make the most of them in your practice.
The Good or The Bad?
It's always been a hard choice deciding whether to start a conversation with the good news or the bad news. In your dispensary the good news could be that you carry the frame brand that your customer is interested in, the bad news might be that the frames they love are out of their budget. So what news should you start with?
Based on a study by researchers at UC-Riverside, people who were given the bad news first were most likely to feel better about what they were told, while those who were given the bad news last were more motivated to act on the news.
What does this mean for your dispensary? If you're looking to keep your customers on the happy side, then it looks like you'll want to lead with the bad news. Frames aren't usually a snap decision purchase anyways, so our suggestion would be to start with the bad news.
Be Quick with Social Responses
Customer expectations in your practice are going to vary. While some patients might say that fast customer service is the most important to them, others might say that friendliness, expert knowledge, or a sense of humor are the most important. But when it comes to customer service on social media, speed is the most important factor of a satisfied customer experience.
In a survey by The Social Habit, 32% of social media users who contact a brand expect a response within 30 minutes, and 42% expect a response within 60 minutes.
Those aren't always easy numbers to achieve, seeing as how monitoring your social media accounts can be a full-time job. But for starters, you can try and keep up with quick responses during your office hours. Having one person in charge of your social media interactions will help make sure that nothing gets missed. If too many hands are on deck, your staff might not know who has time to respond. And, if you are a little late with a response, apologize for the delay. The person on the other end will likely be happy to know they are talking to another human and not just a bot.
Take the Load Off Their Shoulders
Loyal customers are your most important customers. Especially in the world of healthcare, word of mouth referrals are a major way for gaining new patients. So how do you keep your customers loyal and happy?
In a survey by the Customer Contact Council, they found that the single most important factor in increasing customer loyalty is reducing the amount of work the customer has to do in order to get their problem solved.
As an eyecare practice, think about the little things you can do to help make your customers' problems easier to solve. Do you have an online appointment tool so that your busiest patients don't have to pick up the phone to make an appointment? How about a patient portal so that your patients have instant access to their own health information, education materials, and treatment instructions? Do you order your ophthalmic products online so that your patients are getting their orders back as quick as possible?
Are Your Customers Leaving You?
In a Customer Experience Report by RightNow, 82% of people have left a company because of a bad customer service experience.
It's that simple. Bad customer service is going to lose you customers, stop you from gaining referrals, and could even lead to bad online reviews. So make customer service a priority for your team.
Optimize your staff to provide the best customer service. Read how in our Expert Staff Management Guide.
