Hoping to improve customer experience and business? These tips can help

The secret to running a successful business lies in customer satisfaction. Thus as a business owner, deriving customer trust and loyalty should be amongst your top goals if you want to ensure business continuity. This is especially true for small and medium businesses (SMBs) as they often rely on word of mouth to drive more customers and expand their business.

However, accomplishing these aims post the extended lockdown and amid current restrictions due to Covid-19 may be more challenging than expected. Some of the hardest-hit businesses have been retail stores, service providers, event planners and those working in the food industry. And to bring business flow and profit margins back on track, business owners will need to become more proactive and cater to customer expectations in this changing environment.

Here are some tips that can deliver a better customer experience in the current scenario:

Updating sanitation protocols

To instill customer confidence in the present times, it is essential to make them feel safe when visiting your store. This means making hygiene a priority. Having efficient sanitation practices in place will ensure that your customers can walk into your store or office without the fear of getting infected.

Here are a few measures you can take:
- Install hand sanitizer dispensers at the entrance
- Screen body temperature with contactless thermometers
- Regularly disinfect touchpoints including trolleys and basket handles
- Pre-pack loose commodities to reduce handling
- Use disposable containers
Place a sign at your store’s entrance to inform customers about the cleanliness protocols followed. Assure them that you are undertaking all the necessary safety precautions to give them excellent service and satisfying shopping experience. Honest communication is key to building trust and will go a long way in ensuring customer loyalty.
Ensure social distancing, controlling person-density

Crowded spaces are a big no-no, as they are perceived to be risky. And should your store appear crowded, it is likely that extremely wary customers will skip out on giving your business. To avoid a large gathering inside your store, design and implement social distancing rules. This could include:
- Encourage customers to make prior appointments
- Allow a limited number of customers in at a time
- Mark lines at billing counters in a way that people do not stand too close to each other
- Hand out tokens or coloured coupons to customers waiting outside and allow entry to a particular colour at a time to manage crowds. Make sure the tokens are properly disinfected or opt for digital tokens
- Accept orders online or through phone calls and offer home delivery service
- To minimise contact, allow customers to view your menu or catalogue by scanning a QR code or ask them to take a photo of it
- Let your staff work in shifts, which is another way to effectively reduce the number of people in your store
Digital, contact-free payment option

Today, most customers prefer to make digital payments instead of cash exchanges. Apart from being easy and quick, digital payments are safe and minimise contact with people you don't know. So, if you are yet to make digital payments a part of your billing, do it now!

With a digital payment solution platform like HDFC Bank SmartHub, you can offer multiple payments options to your customers, such as - scan and pay, tap and pay (Mobile Card Swipe Machine POS), wireless card swipe, online payments (Credit Card, Debit Card and NetBanking) and UPI (PayZapp).

Here’s how to accept payments online

How does HDFC Bank SmartHub benefit you?
- It allows you to email/SMS invoices with the payment link to vendors or partners for easy accounts tracking and record keeping.
- You can automate payments, track the day-to-day cash flow seamlessly and view integrated reports that help in managing collections.
- It automatically calculates bills, refunds, reconciliations and other costs.
Communicate effectively

To leave a positive impression on your customers, direct communication with them can help establish a personal bond and a more positive response. Empathy and care can go a long way when reaching out to customers, and this can be done via phone, SMS or email. If you can, offer discounts and vouchers so that they become regular customers. And maintain a friendly attitude when they visit your store or office.

The services and experience you provide customers with will have a long-term impact. And considering the current pandemic situation, it is vital to understand their sentiments and pay heed to their demands. Businesses that rapidly adapt to these changing times are likely to bounce back faster and have an advantage over their competitors. And with a payment management solution like HDFC Bank SmartHub, you can take the assistance of technology efficiently go about your day to day business transactions.