Effective communication is the cornerstone of business success. Any business that is able to communicate effectively with customers in Nigeria enjoys a stronger relationship and successful business operation.
What do you think make a customer to misused a company’s product? Bad communication! When an organization fail to communicate to customers on how to use their product, it leads to bad customer’s experience which can also lead to business failure. In today’s world, there are many tools businesses can use to communicate effectively with their customers. Tools such as; telephone, social media, e-mail, sms etc.
Effective communication can increase customer’s satisfaction. When a good communication foundation is laid on ground with customers, it increases sales and growth of the business. Communicating effectively with your customer also help in retaining the customer. No customer like to go to where they are tolerated instead of being celebrated.
Good communication pave ways for good relationship between customers and business.
Here we offer the best ways business owners can effectively communicate with customers in Nigeria.
5 Ways to communicate with customers in Nigeria
How to Communicate Effectively with Customers in Nigeria,
1. Listen attentively
God knows why He gave us two ears and one mouth. I think it was for us to listen more than we speak. Whenever a customer complain or give a feedback on a particular product or services, the customer service personnel should listen and take note of the comment. Effective communication begins with being a good listener. It is very advisable for business organization to have a suggestion box at an open area in the business environment where customers can drop their complain and suggestions about the company.
It is through customer’s feedback that business grows. Some business organization are too busy that they hardly listen to customer’s voice. Such business won’t last long because when customers get tired of talking and no one listening, they will kindly walk away to the ones that will listen to them.
So, for a company to communicate effectively with their customers in Nigeria, they should listen actively to what customers are saying.
2. Always keep customers informed
Always keep your customers informed with the latest news trending in your company. Keep them informed, if there is a technical issue the company is experiencing let them know when it will be resolved. If a customer sends a message upon complaining about a bad service, even if you can’t find the solution immediately, still let the customer know that the complain has been received and the problem is being looked into.
Doing so help the customers know that someone is always listening and taking care of their situation anytime they call. After the problem is resolved, let the customer know that the problem has been resolved and also apologize for the inconvenience it may has caused.
3. Never interrupt your customer
Interrupting your customers when they are still talking is very bad. It upset the customer. It makes them feel their voice is not important. Just the way you should listen attentively, you should never interrupt until the customer is through with talking. You can’t communicate effectively when you don’t give the customers the opportunity to express their thought.
Allowing the customer finish before you respond, demonstrate respect. And it will also make you be in a better position to provide possible solution. After all, if you don’t listen, how will you provide solution to the problem.
4. Avoid negative questions
This is very common with Banks in Nigeria. Some of those guys don’t know how to address their customers. I was at a bank to make a deposit for one of my writers. We were all standing in the queue for long, at last one of the banker called on a guy at my front to come so he can attend to him. As the guy was approaching the counter, the person the banker was attending to before calling this guy came back to do something he forgot to do. So the called guy was told to hold for a while.
Now, a lady banker who was free was supposed to attend to this guy at the counter since he has already been called but she insisted calling another person to attend to. Then, the called guy at the counter waiting was like, “but I have been standing here.” The lady banker said, “was I the one that called you? “
Imagine the kind of question a banker is asking a customer. Picture such experience and how the customer will feel. Asking a negative questions increases the chance of a customer not patronizing your business again.
5. Use the customer’s best communication medium
What is good for Peter can be bad for Paul. Customers should be ask how they will prefer to be communicated with. Some customers would prefer email, while you might be thinking of sms. It will be very annoying if the customer keep getting sms alert than expected instead of email messages.
That is why it’s very important that a customer been asked question like, “what would be the best way to communicate with you?” This will go a long way to avoid problem in the future.
