
Customer relations focuses on the proactive steps you're taking to engage customers and improve the customer experience.Ĭustomer relations encompasses all of the important functions that customer service performs, but also includes the efforts made before and after customer interactions. It considers your organization's ability to react to present issues as well as your approach to bettering future experiences. Companies can provide proactive customer service features, but most customer service functions are delivered in response to customer action.Ĭustomer relations differs because it consists of both the inbound and outbound measures taken by your company. It is an inbound function that's now expected by customers at the first point of interaction with your business. Customer service is what your company provides to ensure customer success. You may think they're one and the same, but customer service and customer relations are two very similar concepts with one distinct difference. This type of long-term customer relationship management helps companies create lasting impressions on customers who eventually become loyal to the brand. Customer success teams do this by providing information about products and updates, as well as by promoting discounts and exclusive offers. These efforts are aimed towards fostering customer success by consistently satisfying evolving customer needs. Proactive functions are the measures taken to ensure a long-term relationship with customers.

Being able to solve unexpected customer roadblocks is essential for brands that are looking to build strong customer relationships. This includes tasks like responding to customer complaints and solving problems with the support team. Reactive functions are the efforts made by your team to solve issues that are reported by customers. What functions does customer relations include?Ĭustomer relations includes both the reactive and proactive functions performed by your customer service teams. Customer service teams, customer support, customer success, and product development all play important roles in building a healthy customer relationship.Ĭustomer relations also extend to marketing and sales teams as well, since these departments have a significant influence over the company's interactions with the customer. And that’s where customer relations comes in.Ĭustomer relations aims to create a mutually beneficial relationship with the customer that extends beyond the initial purchase.Ĭustomer relations is present in all aspects of a business, but it's most prevalent in the customer service department. To achieve this, many companies are now focusing on how they manage their customer relationships. Businesses are now facing the challenge of creating an excellent customer experience that's consistent across every interaction. In fact, a Microsoft study showed that 55% of consumers have higher expectations for customer service year-over-year. The shift has placed pressure on companies to invest in their customer service teams and meet rising customer demands.

Now, consumers are interested in what you're selling them, how you're selling it, and what happens after you've sold it to them. Today's consumers have more industry influence than they've ever had in the past, allowing them to focus on more than just the product that you're selling them. But strong customer relations is what will truly determine the success of a business. Importance of Effective Consumer Relationsĭeveloping an amazing product is one of the hardest challenges that a company can overcome and one of the biggest predictors of success. This includes providing answers to short-term roadblocks as well as proactively creating long-term solutions that are geared towards customer success. Customer relations refers to the methods a company uses to engage with its customers and improve the customer experience.
