What do customers really want? Turns out it’s efficient and personalised service

No matter which industry you operate in, gaining and retaining customer loyalty is a challenge that all businesses face. While there are a number of different avenues that you could explore to ensure that your customers keep coming back, a recent study by the Commonwealth Bank of Australia has found that efficient personalised service is what customers truly want.

The report, titled CommBank’s Retail Therapy, surveyed 1,000 customers to uncover both the emotional and rational drivers behind the ‘perfect’ customer experience in both the retail and restaurant industries. According to the report, 68 percent of respondents stated that inefficient service was the largest contributor to a bad customer experience. Long queuing times came in as the second biggest complaint at 53 percent; and a whopping 50 percent stated that they would leave a business if they had to wait to make payment.

Other key findings of the report include:

• 74 percent of people say that they would be more inclined to stay loyal to a business that offered personalisation
• 84 percent say that they are more likely to purchase from a business that they felt connected to in some way with 82 percent adding that they are likely to spend more when they feel like a valued customer.
• 47 percent stated that businesses that used the latest technologies were more in-tune with the needs of customers
• 58 percent said that retail businesses should consider personalising their shopping experiences
• 77 percent of customers were more likely to return to an outlet that had some form of loyalty program

How to improve the customer experience

The good news is that with a little bit of work, your business can be well and truly on the road to consistently providing a positive customer experience. Managers can easily pinpoint the peaks and troughs in business activity via Revel’s intelligent reporting capabilities, helping you determine how many hands on deck you need throughout trading each day. This will not only save you money on wages, but it will also help you effectively manage queue times and promote personalised service, ensuring that you never miss out on a sale. Revel’s intuitive and customisable interface also speeds up the payment process so that your team can easily locate items on the POS and process orders and payments swiftly.

When it comes to making a customer feel valued, you first need to ensure that your team feels valued by keeping them motivated and engaged. A positive workplace and a happy team = happy customers! Some easy ways to promote a healthy workplace is to provide regular positive feedback to your team, organise social events outside of work hours, and reward those that promote a positive vibe in the workplace.