Importance of customer perception

Being very clear about the importance of customer perception and the actions you must take to improve it can influence consumers to be loyal to your brand or go to the competition when they least expect it.

Therefore, in this article we will share some key aspects about the relevance of customer perception and how to take advantage of it to create a lasting relationship that contributes to the increase in income and the success that you expect from your business.

What is customer perception?

Customer perception consists of the set of impressions, thoughts and emotions that a customer has in relation to a brand or product. That is, it is the result of the impressions that have been formed through each interaction that the client has had with a company, both direct and indirect.

Customer perception can also include the descriptive words they would use to talk about the company or product , and can be both positive and negative.

This assessment usually occurs throughout a process of interaction with the brand, product or service, which may include :

• A sensation stage , which involves everything that the customer perceives through their physical senses, what they can see, touch, taste, hear or smell in relation to your products or services.

• A stage of reflection in which the client’s mind organizes all the information obtained from the previous sensory experience, based on their own personal values ​​and beliefs.

• A final stage of reaction , which occurs when clients decide to take action. This can mean that they buy from your company, they buy from the competition or they do not buy the product or do not use the service.

What is the importance of customer perception?

The importance of customer perception lies in the fact that, if the correct strategies are applied, it can be a key factor in helping your company to grow and survive in the market.

Some of the reasons behind this are:

1. Increase retention rate

The importance of customer perception is that positive perceptions often lead to higher sales and profits by improving customer retention rates and increasing loyalty.

Keep in mind that consumers are much more likely to stay with companies that generate a positive perception and a higher degree of trust .

2. Attract more potential customers

Developing a positive relationship with customers that creates a good brand perception can lead to more leads and more sales for your business, contributing to the success and longevity of the business.

Customers who value your brand and think highly of it may be more likely to recommend your products or services to their friends and family, leading to more leads and more sales.

Similarly, negative customer perceptions can damage your brand image and turn off current and potential customers.

3. Drive repeat purchases

By cultivating positive emotions and experiences over time, you can encourage your customers to make repeat purchases.

Positive customer perceptions are built over time . Therefore, it’s important to focus not just on individual interactions with customers, but on the overall experience throughout the relationship.

4. Increase the value of the brand

As the customer’s perception develops on various levels, their emotional expectations also grow , leading to a point where trust in the brand is built to develop fun and engaging experiences.

As a result, customers have a greater appreciation of the value of the brand and its efforts to devise new solutions that improve the lives of its customers, and even to get involved in social issues and the environment.

5. Generate more business opportunities

Most of the business opportunities are generated as a result of the general customer experience, and the purchase is focused less and less on the products themselves and more on the added value that we receive in the process.

For this reason, marketing and business strategy professionals invest more and more in offering emotional benefits and in building a good customer perception through positive experiences that give you better opportunities for your business.

6. Helps to retain customers who bet on the brand

In certain sectors, especially the luxury sector, consumers remain loyal to the brand that provides them with a unique experience before the price or utility of its products or services. 

In these cases, the importance of customer perception is even more fundamental , so it is more profitable to work on improving this factor than on price competition or on the value-added features of the product.

How to improve customer perception?

Now that you know the importance of customer perception, you probably want to know some strategies that you can implement to improve it and start enjoying the benefits that a positive perception can bring to your brand , product or service.

Here we will present 7 ways to achieve it so that you can start implementing them now! :

1. Manage the customer experience effectively

Most companies collect customer feedback in some form. However, there are very few that manage to make the comments lead to changes that improve the customer’s perception.

Therefore, one way to improve consumer perception is to spend time responding to and acting on customer feedback , which goes a long way toward making customers feel that you care about them and their needs.

If you listen to your customers, but do nothing with the positive or negative comments you get , you will not have any results for you, or for your consumers.

2. Commit to consistency

When evaluating your brand consistency, it’s important to step back and consider your role in the customer onboarding process.

To get a positive perception from customers, you need to make sure that the path from sales to support or customer success is seamless and reflects how you want people to see your brand.

To achieve this type of harmonious experience, it is advisable to establish basic operating values , such as respect, integrity and a customer-centric culture, which serve as a framework for all brand interactions.

3. Recognize and reward customer-centric behavior

Since customer perception is influenced by every interaction a customer has with your company, it means that every employee has something to do with how your customers feel .

To create a positive perception of customers, you must first create a customer-centric culture that enables employees to act in the best interest of consumers at all times, at every touch point.

4. Cover knowledge gaps before they become apparent

A skillful approach to service and customer relationship building is not achieved without proper training and a commitment to continuous learning.

As the industry standard continues to change to meet the demands of an informed and empowered customer, your customer service team must keep up .

To maximize your competitive advantage, it is important that both you as a leader and your organization as a whole are aware of the skills and service areas that need improvement, and are also willing to invest in software and training to help bridge the skills gap. everyone who is part of the organization.

5. Provide stellar customer service

To maintain a positive perception in customers, your brand cannot settle for mediocre or poor service , so you must reinforce it with a combination of good customer service practices that make a difference.

To do this , you can offer different types of self-service (such as a knowledge base or a chatbot) so that customers can get quick solutions to simple problems without having to contact your support team.

It’s also important to assess which channels your customer base prefers to use and make sure you have the tools you need to seamlessly move conversations from one channel to another . This is what it really means to offer omnichannel customer service.

6. Share customer success stories

An effective way to influence customers’ perception of your brand is to show them how you’ve helped other people succeed .

When customers see how others have achieved their goals with your products or services, they are more likely to view your brand in a positive light .

To do this, you can make case studies and publish them on your website. This will help everyone understand the value of your brand by showing what you are bringing to your various customers on a regular basis.

7. Support social causes

Now, more than ever, companies must connect with their customers on the issues that matter to them, as many consumers care that brands express their values ​​through the causes they support.

One way to find a cause your organization can support is by surveying your employees and customers about what matters most to them , which can give you the groundwork to authentically embody your company’s social responsibility.

You can then search for local charities that align with those themes, and even organize work days where team members can volunteer and help the community.

Conclusion

As you can see, having a clear understanding of the importance of customer perception is essential to achieve a lasting relationship that increases the economic benefits of the brand, as well as its role in the competitive environment.

Remember that one of the best ways to improve consumer perception is through training and the right tools to ensure a successful customer experience.

Today there are various types of tools that can help you achieve this, from the integration of commonly used messaging such as WhatsApp to support chatbots, sending surveys, ticket systems and much more.