In today’s ever-changing, “always on” market, being responsive is more important than ever. Clients, customers and consumers demand responsiveness and if a business can’t provide it, they will take their business elsewhere.

 

Blogpost by Nathalie Schooling

Consumers have countless options when it comes to where they shop, what they buy and who they do business with. With so many choices, businesses must be responsive to the needs and wants of their customers if they want to be successful.

A business that is responsive to its customers is one that listens to feedback and makes changes accordingly. It’s also one that is quick to adapt to new trends and technologies. In other words, a responsive business is an agile one.

One of the major trends of 2022 in terms of customer experience – (B2C) and Client (B2B) – is the demand for immediate and continual responsiveness. The pandemic broke down most of what resistance remained to online interaction. The proliferation of accessible apps, for everything from banking to our grocery shopping, has raised our expectations of speedy responses and ease of doing business.

The bar has been set high by B2C industries, and these expectations are migrating to B2B. Responsiveness has become the way we define service. We want our questions answered and our problems solved quickly and efficiently.

By definition, responsiveness is the ability to act or respond quickly and effectively to a change or challenge. In the context of e-commerce, responsiveness is absolutely crucial to maintaining customer satisfaction and loyalty.

There are many ways to be responsive to customers, but some of the most important include being available to answer questions and resolve issues in a timely manner, offering a wide range of payment options, and shipping orders quickly and efficiently.

Time and again, the research undertaken by nlightencx reveals that transforming the customer experience in this new normal requires a different approach – one that is more responsive, integrated, and customer led. Businesses must go above and beyond to stand out from the crowd. Those that do will reap the rewards in the form of repeat business and positive word-of-mouth.

Those who don’t will discover that “Poor service is no longer resolved in private through traditional call centres and email channels but laid bare on social media with far-reaching reputational consequences”, as the McKinsey report, “Social media as a service differentiator: How to win” puts it.

Are your suppliers as responsive as you are?

It is not only important for businesses to be responsive to their customers, but also to their partners and suppliers. If a company is unresponsive to its partners and suppliers, this will cause a ripple effect that will negatively impact the business as a whole. And your suppliers are a vital part of your value chain, whether they be a tech partner, an outsourced service supplier, couriers or other delivery company.

Your own company can be exceptionally responsive, but if your suppliers aren’t it is your business that will lose. So consider how you onboard your suppliers. Set KPIs and ensure they understand your expectations and commit to meeting them. When you measure customer satisfaction, it is vital to include questions around responsiveness. If a supplier is at fault, hold them responsible. Measuring feedback and performance on a regular basis also creates a cycle of continuous improvement and responsiveness to changing needs.

There are a few different ways to measure responsiveness. One way is to track the time it takes for a company to respond to customer inquiries. Another way is to track the number of customer inquiries that a company resolves. By tracking these metrics, you can get a good sense of how responsive a company is to its customers.

The more responsive you are, the more business you’ll get.

Customers today expect a high level of customer service, and if you can provide that, you’ll be ahead of the competition. Being responsive shows that you care about your customers and their experience with your company. It builds trust and loyalty, two essential ingredients for success.