The best time to win customer loyalty is after the sale. Investing in this stage of the customer journey is essential to keep them engaged with the brand and guarantee their loyalty, whether they make new purchases or renew a service contract.
As well as being an opportunity to retain and build customer loyalty, after-sales also has a significant impact on the brand’s reputation in the market, since customers who are well(or badly) served after a purchase tend to share their experiences with other consumers.
Therefore, companies that invest in after-sales strategies not only manage to retain customers, but also turn them into brand promoters. In the medium and long term, the results of these strategies can include an increase in LTV (Lifetime Value) and the retention rate, a reduction in CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost) and, consequently, an increase in the company’s profitability.
In this article, you’ll read about:
- What is after-sales?
- Why invest in after-sales?
- What are the best after-sales strategies?
- How to retain customers after sales?
- The role of after-sales support service
- How to provide good after-sales service?
What is after-sales?
After-sales is a set of actions adopted by the company with the aim of continuing the customer experience after the purchase, building a relationship and retaining customer loyalty.
The main idea behind after-sales is the same in all types of business: to turn a simple buyer into a loyal customer and, ideally, a brand promoter. This can involve anything from sending thank you messages and collecting feedback to providing technical support and offering educational content so that the customer makes the best possible use of the product or service.
Actions vary according to the audience, segment and characteristics of each business. But, in general, after-sales objectives include:
- Ensuring satisfaction: by monitoring the customer experience after the purchase, the company can quickly identify if there is any dissatisfaction and take action before the customer decides to abandon the brand or share a negative experience with other consumers.
- Increasing retention: well-served customers after purchase tend to do business with the company again and this has contributed to increasing the retention rate, which is more profitable and efficient than acquiring new customers.
- Reducing churn: the “churn” or cancellation rate is an indicator of customer loss. Good after-sales service helps to reduce this rate, as it keeps the customer satisfied and engaged with the brand.
- Identifying opportunities for improvement: interacting with customers in the after-sales phase helps the company gain insights into the product, service and sales process, helping to understand what is working well and where there is room for improvement.
- Promoting upselling and cross-selling: after-sales also allows the company to offer complementary products or services that meet the customer’s needs, increasing their average ticket.
Why invest in after-sales?
If you want a sustainable business in the long term, you will certainly need to invest in after-sales. This is because investing in this stage of the customer journey is essential for building relationships and gaining customer loyalty , so that your business doesn’t just depend on new customers to keep it afloat.
In addition, as we’ve already mentioned, after-sales service helps reduce churn, improves customer satisfaction and contributes to strengthening the brand’s reputation in the market.
Recent studies show that customer loyalty has a significant impact on turnover. According to research by Bain & Company, loyal customers tend to spend up to 67% more on products and services than new customers. In addition, retaining customers is more cost-effective than acquiring new ones, since the CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost) is usually higher than the costs involved in good after-sales service.
Another important point is the impact on LTV (Lifetime Value). Loyal customers make repeat purchases and are more likely to recommend the brand to friends and family, which reduces costs and improves long-term results. Therefore, investing in after-sales is not just a question of quality service, but a business strategy that has a direct impact on the company’s growth and sustainability.
What are the best after-sales strategies?
An effective after-sales strategy needs to include continuous actions and provide a good customer experience. Just sending a one-off thank you message, for example, is not enough to build customer loyalty and retention. That’s why we’ve listed the best action ideas for your after-sales strategy here. Take a look:
- Purchase confirmation: this is a simple action, but one that shows attention from the very first contact. To make it even more effective, don’t just confirm the purchase, but send a thank you message valuing the customer along with this confirmation.
- Delivery and follow-up: once the product has arrived in the customer’s hands, an excellent idea is to be proactive and ask if everything went well, if the product arrived as expected and if the customer is satisfied with the purchase. To apply this idea to a business selling services, for example, ask the customer if everything went well with the service and if they are satisfied.
- Educational content: an excellent idea for keeping customers engaged and helping them to have a good experience with your product or service is to offer tutorials and educational content about what they have in hand and related topics. Offering information that is relevant to the customer’s interests will also help to keep them engaged and always remembering your brand.
- Satisfaction surveys: Satisfaction surveys are the best way to find out how to improve what you offer and to show your customers that you care about them. Carry out qualitative satisfaction surveys to collect complete feedback, listen to your customer and, if necessary, give them the opportunity to take this conversation to people with decision-making power to speed up the improvement process.
- Technical support: this idea seems obvious, but there are many businesses that don’t have good customer service for technical problems with products or services. Offer quality service on the contact channels you have available, whether it’s by phone, email or WhatsApp. This will prevent customers from becoming dissatisfied because they can’t resolve their problems.
- Offers and loyalty: consumers like to receive coupons, promotions, gifts and rewards in general. Offer exclusive benefits to your customers, be creative to match their interests and provide offers that are really relevant to them.
- Re-engagement: for those inactive customers who have stopped buying or have not renewed a contract, it may be a good idea to get in touch to find out how you can help them again with your products or services. In this case, a simple “generic” message isn’t enough; bet on closer, more humanized contact.
How to retain customers after sales?
To retain customers after sales, it is essential that actions are continuous. Customer retention depends on follow-up, frequent communication and creating a positive post-purchase experience . Here are some strategies to ensure that customers continue to choose your brand:
- Proactive service: anticipate the customer’s needs. Instead of waiting for them to get in touch, communicate proactively to resolve doubts or offer guidance on use.
- Personalizing offers: get to know the customer’s preferences and offer products or services that really add value. Personalized offers increase the chances of new purchases and strengthen customer relationships.
- Monitoring satisfaction: carry out satisfaction surveys periodically to find out if the customer is still satisfied with your brand and products. This can be done using NPS, CSAT and other tools that offer insights into the customer experience.
- Encouraging participation in loyalty programs: inviting customers to participate in points or rewards programs encourages them to return. This type of program improves the relationship with the brand and creates a sense of exclusivity that values the customer.
- Reactivation actions: in the event of inactivity, re-engagement campaigns can be useful to remind customers of the benefits of your products and services.
Read more | AI in customer service: tools and best practices
The role of after-sales support service
Support service is an essential part of after-sales service to turn a simple purchase into a complete and positive experience. When customers are well looked after and feel they can count on the company’s support to answer their questions or solve problems, they gain confidence in the brand and feel valued. Offering good support service increases satisfaction, builds customer loyalty and can encourage them to recommend the brand to others.
In addition, after-sales support is a strategic point for collecting feedback and better understanding customer needs. The information obtained by support allows the company to identify opportunities for improvement, adjust processes and innovate in products and services to meet the expectations and needs of its customers. Therefore, in after-sales, the role of support service goes beyond solving problems: it helps the company evolve based on the customer experience.
To learn more | Humanized customer service: everything you need to know to implement it
How to provide good after-sales service?
Good after-sales service is a combination of humanization, agility and efficiency. It must be accessible and humanized, seeking not only to resolve the customer’s issues, but also to provide a positive and welcoming experience. We’ve listed some essential tips for you to apply in your business and offer good customer service:
- Offer different contact channels: make it easy for customers to get in touch by making different channels available, such as telephone, email and WhatsApp. The more accessible the communication channels, the greater the customer satisfaction.
- Train the team: the support team must be ready to listen to the customer, understand their needs and resolve demands assertively. Frequent training sessions are an excellent way of keeping the team well prepared.
Train your service team with Simoola
- Respond quickly: a quick response is an important differentiator in after-sales service. Customers value fast service, so it’s essential to reduce waiting times and ensure that each interaction is productive, with assertive responses.
- Personalize your service: treat each customer uniquely, demonstrating knowledge of their purchase history and preferences. This personalization is essential for a more humanized experience.
- Collect feedback: after each service, ask the customer to rate the experience. This feedback is important for improving service and identifying opportunities.