-
-
-
-
Home > > Your customers > Meeting your customers' expectations
Meeting your customers' expectations
In many ways, developments in electronic commerce are setting the standards for the rest of the business world to follow. Nowhere is this truer than in the area of customer relations.
Advantages
Doing business online has a number of advantages for customers and clients:
- A personalised environment over which they have a high degree of control
- Easy access to detailed product/service information
- The space to 'browse' at their leisure, free from the intrusions of predatory sales staff
- Extended choice and the ability to personalise products and services
- Fast and efficient transactions
- Increasingly sophisticated after sales support services
As customers and clients grow used to these benefits, they are coming to expect them across the board - even in more conventional business settings such as the shop and the office. Today's customers and clients demand more recognition, more choice, and more control over the purchasing process.
Customer driven strategies
Businesses that want to survive in the new millennium must develop customer driven rather than product or service driven strategies:
- Products and services must be designed to meet the specific needs of the customer/client
- Impersonal, mass marketing must give way to 'permission marketing,' in which the prospect has a say in what information he or she receives
- Traditional, predatory sales techniques must be replaced by 'consultative selling,' in which the customer is treated more as a partner than as prey
These trends are set to continue throughout what has been dubbed the 'Customer century'. Businesses will ignore them at their peril.
Our Latest News
- Increase in risk of a second recession, says think-tank
The chances of the UK economy entering a second recession next year have risen, according to the National Institute for Economic and Social Research (NIESR).
- more
- UK skills training needs radical overhaul
The British economy could find itself facing a period of decline if the skill levels of the workforce do not show marked improvement, it has been claimed.
- more
- Compulsory retirement age to be retired
The government is proposing to scrap the default retirement age of 65 by October 2011.
- more
- Savers not being told about interest rate changes
Many banks and building societies are failing to keep savers properly informed about changes to the interest rates on their accounts, comsumer group Which? has claimed.
- more
- Self-employment declarations should be respected
With thousands of people predicted to start up their own micro-businesses as unemployment rises, a business group has called on the tax authorities to respect their employment status.
- more
- Government publishes a raft of tax consultations
The Treasury has issued nine consultation papers on various aspects of the personal and business tax system in what amounts to a far-reaching overhaul of the entire regime.
- more
- Prospect of rise in energy costs for business
Businesses have been warned that they could see a steep rise in energy costs over the coming years.
- more
- Banks under pressure to increase small business lending
Banks could face possible tax sanctions if they fail to boost lending to smaller businesses.
- more
Harrison Young,
First Floor,
1 Gatton Road,
London
SW17 0EX
TEL: 0208 767 0151
FAX: 020 8767 5359
Click to email us
Harrison Young is a trading style of Ashley Ross Limited, Registered in England no. 05717229 and whose registered office is at 1 Gatton Road, London SW17 0EX.and is registered as Auditors by The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants. Read our Disclaimer.