Customer service has always been heavily related to retail environments, but that doesn’t mean us B2B types can’t learn a thing or two about client retention from our B2C cousins.

It’s a widely accepted fact that it costs 6-7 times more to gain a new customer than to sell to your current customers. And since bad customer service leads to 70% of customer loss, your customer service must be top-notch if you want to take advantage of upsell chances.

With that in mind, we’ve taken a look at some top brands to see what tips they can give us about customer service and keeping your clients sweet.

Amazon

Amazon is our first pick for exceptional customer service, and this is proven when they’re continually voted No. 1 for customer satisfaction. But what makes Amazon our number 1? Easy – their high-level personalisation and awesome use of data. So what can we learn for our own B2B clients?

Just like in B2C sales, spot retention chances in your client data. Utilize what you know about your clients’ buying habits to create future suggestions. By personalizing your approach for each client, you’ll demonstrate your appreciation for their business, grasp their needs, and increase your retention rates.

Tip: Use Lead Forensics category filters to identify when your current clients are re-engaging with your website. Use the page viewer function to see what they’re looking at onsite and provide them with timely, personalised recommendations based on what they’re viewing.

Samsung 

Samsung are a company seriously invested in their customer service. Having previously had some customer service troubles, they launched a global care campaign that successfully wooed customers and clients back – growing their social following from 8 million to 25 million in 2013 alone.

What puts them in our top 3, is their great use of educational content to retain their customer base – customer care apps, ‘how to’ videos, Trouble-shooting guides, they have it all!

What can we learn? Companies that prioritize customer experience generate 60% higher profits than their competition. Customer service isn’t about sticking someone on hold anymore, it’s about educating your clients in thoughtful ways.

Be the company that continually provides valuable content resource, whether that’s videos, ‘how to’ webinars or live chats. And by showing you’re invested in your clients success, they’ll show you loyalty and on-going support.

 Jetblue Airlines

What makes this airline different to the rest? They understand their customers are in a hurry.  Not only do they engage with customers, they respond to frustrated fliers with lightening quick, informative tweets.

So what can we learn for B2B client retention? 72% of customers expect complaints to be answered within 1 hour. With social media channels now all but replacing traditional customer service channels, our clients now expect a quick response.

Tip: Don’t underestimate the value of real-time response to your clients. Use Lead Forensics trigger reports to alert you when customers are visiting help sections or contact us areas of your website, so you can be lightening quick and proactive in offering them the solution – before they have to find it themselves.

Read the original blog post here.