A2 Types of Customer
Internal customers can be anybody within an organisation. They are affected by anything produced by the organisation or a department within the organisation. For example, marketing staff are affected by decisions in the finance department as it affects their budget. Sales staff are affected by human resources as the quality of their training affects their ability to do their job well. All staff may be affected by the quality of IT support provided within the organisation as it affects how well they can access documents, databases and communication software.
External customers are those outside the organisation. The most common external customer are the individuals or other businesses who purchase and consume the product. External customers can also include anybody affected by the production of the product including local community and government.
Customer Personalities
Buying behaviours differ from person to person. This includes their expectations, the way in which they treat staff, the amount of interaction they want and how quickly they want their needs met. Different customers can be classified into four main types;
The Driver,
The Expressive,
The Analytical
The Amiable.
The Driver
Drivers are very goal-orientated and decisive. They know what they want and are not interested in personal interactions. They want sales staff to give them the information they asked for and no more. They may come across as impatient and may get annoyed if their time is wasted with unrequested information.
When dealing with Drivers, get straight to the point, make it clear how the product will solve a problem for them, only give information they ask for, make any interaction fast and efficient and avoid giving your own personal opinions as they are unlikely to be interested in them.
The Expressive
Expressive types value personal relationships and will value efforts made by staff to connect with them and show interest in their wellbeing. Expressives value opinions over facts and statistics so may want to share their thoughts and listen to opinions and case studies from sales staff about experiences that other people have had with the product they are considering buying.
When dealing with Expressive types, aim to connect with them on a personal level. Find out about their lives and interests and appeal to their emotions. Emphasise the ongoing relationship that will be developed such as after sales care. Provide case studies of people who have bought the product before and share your opinions on the product with them.
The Analytical
Analytical types like to look at data and stats. They like to gain a good knowledge of a product before they make the decision to buy. They are less interested in personal connections and opinions and prefer facts about the features, quality and performance of a product. They may have already researched your company, products and reviews before arriving at your store.
When dealing with Analytic types, stick to the facts and avoid trying to make personal connections with them. Give them time to process data and avoid making claims about products that you can’t back up with facts.
The Amiable
Amiable types are friendly, laid back and patient. They like to form personal relationships and build trust with people they interact with including sales staff. They are good listeners and may be slow to make decisions.
When dealing with amiable types, be patient and take time to build rapport and establish trust. Provide lots of information on the product, how it will meet their needs and case studies of people who have bought the product before.
Staff should be mindful of customers with special requirements and make adaptations to the way in which they communicate to both be understood and to be respectful. Special requirements may relate to language, culture, age, gender, families, hearing, visual or mobility.Customer Expectations and Satisfaction.
Customer expectations about a brand refer to assumptions about the experience they will receive with a brand and its products. This may include good service, reliable and accurate information about the products, being able to choose from a range of options and honesty in advertising.
Satisfied customers can enhance the reputation of a brand through positive word of mouth and reviews.
It is important to respond to customer needs as if their needs are not met, they may switch to a competing brand or spread negative word of mouth. Some examples of how a business can meet customer needs include,
Exceeding customer expectations through providing additional help and assistance
Dealing promptly with problems
Offering discounts, offering additional products or services
Providing exceptional help
Assistance for customers with special requirements
Balancing customer satisfaction with business goals, aims and objectives is an important and ongoing process in customer service. Customers are essential for the survival of a business because they provide the revenue that is used for business operations. Unhappy customers are likely to switch to a competing brand where there is an option to do so. The actions that keep customers happy such as producing high quality products, having highly training service staff, offering discounts and receiving it at quickly come at a price. The money spent on making these improvements eat into a business’ profits. It is therefore essential to find ways of meeting customer needs in the most cost effective way.