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As a charity or not-for-profit organisation, you’ll appreciate that relationships within the third sector are largely built on trust and reputation.
Your donors, fundraisers and members are living in the digital age and have higher expectations than ever when it comes to customer service. They want to feel looked after, respected and appreciated, and this is where CRM comes in.
CRM systems have the ability to create an experience for the customer, an experience that if carried out correctly, will encourage them to always remain loyal to you.
Today’s customers rate companies by their ability to provide an exceptional level of customer service, this being even more relevant to the NFP industry who do not necessarily offer a product, but a cause.
In order for these customers to invest in your cause, you must invest in them.
- Communication
Communication is the most important part of customer service. Customers want to feel included and they want to see the impact of their support whether that’s through donations, sponsorship or other involvement.
To keep your supporters included in your great work, CRM can be used to send out regular automated updates and you can also segment the data to make sure the right person is receiving the right message. Providing relevant information to your supporters is essential.
By keeping your donors, fundraisers and members informed, they will not only feel appreciated but excited to find out more about any new campaigns or projects you’re planning.
As well as utilising social media to encourage conversations, CRM can also be used to gather customer opinions, helpful feedback and new ideas by creating and sending out surveys.
By listening to your supporters, anticipating and understanding what they want, you’ll be able to grow your support even further.
- Tailored Relationships
No customer wants to feel like a number, especially when that customer is showing their support for a good cause. They want to feel special, and CRM can be used to develop these long-lasting, loyal relationships with your supporters.
Take the time to really understand your donors, fundraisers and members. Your CRM system holds a wide range of customer information and utilising segmentation properly can be a really effective tool.
CRM systems make it easy to automate and personalize customer communication.
Receiving targeted and personalised information from you can go a long way in making your supporters feel special.
- Customer Support
Your supporters, especially if they are donating money, will want to be able to contact you at any time whether that’s to ask a question, suggest an idea or simply to show their support.
If your supporter is reaching out to you, it’s vital that you treat this with respect and careful consideration to make sure they feel important and listened to.
Maintaining an ongoing dialogue with your supporters is essential for providing good customer service. You can use CRM for example, to automate emails so supporters know that you have received their message and will get back to them as soon as possible.
To conclude, your donors, fundraisers and members are a very important part of your business, as they are the ones that make your great work possible. What’s more, they show their support without expecting anything in return other than to see their donations making a positive impact. CRM can be used to help create a seamless, efficient and tailored customer experience through simple email automation, personalized communication and customer support services, which will help ensure loyal and satisfied supporters.
Contact our team of CRM experts to find out how we can help your charity or not-for-profit organisation get the most out of your CRM system, and deliver the best possible customer service to your supporters.
For more helpful information from within the third sector, take a look at our blog post on charities using the Royal Mail NCOA service in line with the Data Protection Act 1998.
