Everyone knows that the key to any great relationship is communication. And the finance world is no exception. To create great relationships with our customers, we need to be great at communicating. We want our customers to know who we are and to have a smile cross their face whenever they think about us (at least that’s the hope and the dream).
So how can we build great relationships with our customers? And how can your institution become a great communicator? Read on and we’ll go over some tips together.
The number one way you can get a customer angry is by not telling them something important. If they’ve missed a payment and are going to be penalized if they don’t pay within a few days, the customer wants to know this. They don’t want to suddenly be hit with a fee without warning. Not communicating can be worse than bad communication. Customers need to know about the important stuff. Make sure to have a system in place to alert customers to any upcoming fees or penalties or anything along those lines. Let’s try to keep them happy.
With thousands of customers, this one can be tricky, but it doesn’t have to be complicated. Make sure that every interaction with your customers ends on a positive note, especially when they take the time to contact you. And little things like sending a personalized email or text on their birthday can make a big difference.
Don’t get lost in the background. Keep in contact regularly to ensure customers continue thinking about you. When they think about a financial institution, you want your institution’s name to be top of mind. If they are thinking about getting a loan, you absolutely want them to consider your company first. To get customers to think about your institution, you need to regularly put your name in their mind through consistent communication.
But don’t contact them too much. There is a fine line between great, regular communication and annoyance. Find the sweet spot and live there. Once a month is a good guideline to get started with. Plus, there are plenty of regulations out there that determine how often and through what channels you can communicate with customers. Better make sure to follow them.
Every customer is different. Some enjoy a quick text, others a lengthy email, still others only want phone calls. Determine what your customers like and communicate with them in those ways. It’s also great to mix it up on occasion so that you have a better chance of getting their attention.
Our Notification System makes this process easy. With the ability to consistently send automatic emails and texts while keeping you compliant, we have the tools to keep in regular communication with your customers. To find out more, please request a free Demo today.