Guest Post: Tips to Boost Client Satisfaction in the Post-Pandemic Era

This week we feature an article by Nathan Liao, the founder of CMA Exam Academy. He writes about how businesses can be more successful by implementing changes that will boost client satisfaction.

Social distancing regulations have ended in many areas, people are booking up their social calendars with events, airports are once again filled with excited travelers… it seems like the COVID-19 crisis is starting to become a thing of the past. Now that we are entering a new post-pandemic era, it is time to sit and brainstorm how you can make your enterprise more successful. One way to do that is by implementing changes that will boost client satisfaction. 

Your current and potential clients are now looking to spend their money on themselves and make changes in their businesses. They could be in the market for the services that you offer, so you must ensure they are nothing short of satisfied with the experience that you provide. If your customers are not fully happy with your company’s services, they may consider taking their business to one of your competitors. You definitely don’t want that to happen, so you need to strive to enhance client satisfaction. Here are a few ways to do just that.  

Foresee What Your Clients Need  

One surefire way to really enhance client satisfaction is to anticipate what your customers may need from you in this post-pandemic era. Take a moment to consider how their lives or businesses are changing and how your services can help them during this time. If you are proactive and go above and beyond your clients’ usual expectations, they will really appreciate the extra effort and feel like you truly care about their well-being.  

There are many ways you can do this. For example, if you own a financial services company, you can send an email with helpful tips on planning a post-pandemic budget to all of your business clients. Or, if you own a consulting firm, you may foresee your clients wondering how to improve team collaboration in a hybrid workforce. Take initiative and put together a helpful how-to video to send to your clients before they even ask you for advice. And if you do not know what your clients may need, go ahead and ask them! They will really appreciate the effort. 

Improve Your Inquiry Response Time 

Isn’t it frustrating when you are left on hold when calling a company’s customer service line? So why would you make your clients wait days for replies to their phone calls or emails? Yes, the days always get so busy and filled with urgent tasks, but you should do what you can to reply to your clients’ emails and calls quicker. After all, they are the ones who are keeping your enterprise afloat! Replying to inquiries quicker is sure to boost client satisfaction. 

There are various ways you can improve your inquiry response time. First, you can schedule one hour each day just to reply to calls and emails from the last 24 hours. If you simply cannot find the time, hire a virtual assistant who can reply to all incoming emails right away and answer general questions. Also, you can set up an automatic reply to all incoming emails that lays out when your clients can expect a reply from you. The email can say something along the lines of “Thanks for reaching out! Please expect a reply by tomorrow.”  

Provide Consistent Status Updates 

As a business owner, you don’t want to leave your clients wondering where things are at in the projects and work they’re paying you for. That said, you will really boost their satisfaction with your services if you provide regular status updates without them having to ask you for them. For example, if you’re working on a long-term project for a client, send a daily or weekly check-in email that discusses what has been done and the next task at hand. Be consistent with your status updates so your clients know you really care about the projects you’re doing for them.

Introduce New Services They Need 

If your clients have inquired about a service you don’t yet provide, see what you can do to start offering it. This will help prevent them from possibly bringing their business to one of your competitors who do offer the service your business lacks. To start providing the service, you may need to pay for online courses or take an exam to get a certification, but it will definitely be worth it! Your current clients will be happy that you now offer the new service and it can open up the door to a whole new market of potential clients looking specifically for that service.   

To Wrap It All Up  

Client satisfaction will be paramount in the post-pandemic era. Now that society is opening up, your current and potential clients may need your services for the changes they’re making in their lives and businesses. Make sure to boost client satisfaction by anticipating what they need, replying to their inquiries quicker, and providing regular status updates on projects. Also, get certified or take an online course that will enable you to start offering a whole new service your clients need. These steps will enhance your clients’ satisfaction with your company. 

Nathan Liao is the founder of CMA Exam Academy. As a CMA and CMA coach, Nathan mentors accounting and finance professionals in over 80 countries to earn their CMA certification in as little as 8 months.