Customer relations: Defined
Customer relations refers to the process that a company uses to communicate, interact, connect and do business with the buyers or users of their products or services. It involves the management of communications and interactions, so that customer ideas are shared, concerns are addressed and inquires answered. Good customer relations ensure a high level of customer satisfaction is achieved consistently.
Therefore, the ultimate goal of a customer relations program is to foster and build long-lasting relationships, so that customers remain loyal to your products and services – through repeat purchases, brand loyalty and referral to others.
What is new about customer relations?
The importance of customer relations to the success of a company is nothing new. The notion has been around for many decades. What is new is the influence that the evolving consumer consciousness has created on the way businesses interact with their customers and marketplace. Customers are becoming increasingly more active in the decision making process and exert a large influence on product and service innovation. Seizing this opportunity, successful organizations have shifted their focus away from a company-driven perspective to a more collaborative client-centric perspective. Their focus is on building customer relations by ensuring everyone who works and interacts in the development and delivery of products and services—customers, partners and employees—are all working together, and ‘on the same page’.
How customer relations impact your bottom-line
The emphasis on improving the overall customer experience through effective management of relations has shown to increase customer engagement. Efforts to listen and engage with customers help to develop a loyal customer base by converting one-time buyers or occasional customers into active collaborators who act as ambassadors promoting your brand and its image. Collaboration also helps to identify negative customer experiences so that corrective action is taken 
OneDesk helps you build strong customer relations
OneDesk has the tools you need to improve your customer relations and build loyalty. This includes opening up communications channels so that you can listen to your customers, engage with them and take action to meet their needs throughout the product and service development process. OneDesk’s social applications help address the many challenges involved in customer relations management by:
- Providing customer feedback forms so that customers can express their suggestions, share their ideas and voice their opinions on your products and service offerings.
- Providing a way to respond directly to customer feedback through the customer portal and allowing customers to share their ideas with other customers and all members of the organization.
- Making it easy to demonstrate that you listen to customers by incorporating feedback into the development process, taking action to meet their needs and exceeding their expectations.
- Encouraging a collaborative culture throughout the organization through social collaboration tools that allow everyone to get on the same page, structure the conversation and get the job done.