How to Deliver Outstanding Customer Service in B2B

by | Jan 17, 2020 | Blog

While providing outstanding customer service helps you to differentiate your business from your competitors, when it comes to B2B interactions there are some subtleties to be remembered. If your competition is matching you in price and products, then exceptional customer service can help you to stand out. Here are some easy-to-do tips on how to provide great customer service to B2B businesses:

Ask for customer input

Ask your customers what they want or what their expectations are. It has been found that there are three main areas that customers focus on when interacting with sales teams.

  • They want sales reps to display good knowledge of their industry and business. This is the area most valued by customers out of the three.
  • Professional behaviour, including integrity, responsiveness, flexibility, and fairness, is expected.
  • Sales reps should display good communication skills, like the ability to listen, show empathy and actively engage using open-ended questions.

Asking your customers how you can serve them better gives them the opportunity to ask for what they want, let you know on neutral grounds what they need and invites them to play an important role in the ongoing development of your B2B relationship.

Cater to many roles

The main difference between B2C and B2B customer service is that B2C sales reps deal with individuals while B2B sales reps often communicate with many people in one company. Each person your sales rep communicates with has a specific role in the company and they have questions that need to be answered.

To provide good customer service to a B2B partner you need to cater to each person who plays a role in the decision-making process.

Create a feedback loop

Feedback is essential to good customer service as it gives you insight into what is being done well and what requires adjustment. It can also be used as a way of assuring the customer that they are valued and heard.

You also need to action feedback. If a customer shares their experience or expectations, and they see no changes, they might feel ignored or devalued. If you choose to make a decision that goes against much of the same feedback you have from customers, but it is a strategic decision that supports your business goals in ways clients might not understand, you can use social media or blogs to communicate with your clients. Let them know that they have been heard but you’ve made a decision based on larger factors that might benefit them in other ways.

Be accessible

Customer service is all about the customer. It is important for them to know that when they need you they can reach you. Make multiple channels available to customers including email, phone, and social media. Learn what your customers’ main method of communication is and focus on optimising that method to make it easy for them to use it.

Respond quickly

Be accessible 24 hours a day using chatbots or other AI technology. Set up automated appointment services so that a sales rep returns contact with your clients at a time when it best suits their needs.

  • Link your FAQ page to automated correspondence.
  • Make personal contact with customers, even if it is just to say that a query has been resolved.
Listen attentively, respond appropriately

Great listening skills are the key to excellent customer service. Listening is about ensuring that you know exactly what the customer is saying and letting the person know that they have been understood.

  • Always ask for clarification and reiterate what has been said to avoid misunderstanding.
  • Once you know what is needed, make sure to provide the right answers to the right questions, and strive to fulfil the specific need.

Providing exceptional customer service to your B2B clients is easy when you use a tracking app like Onsight Mobile app. Once a customer’s order is placed, an email with all of the details is instantly sent to the head office and the process of getting products to the customer is immediately set in motion. Your customers always know what’s going on as they too receive an email copy of their order.

This empowers your sales team and your customers. When people feel that they are communicating openly with your business, they become confident in the solidity of your enterprise and your growth opportunities multiply.