Whether intentional or not, many businesses end up treating their clients more like numbers and less like human beings. When you treat your customers like humans, though, you have a much higher chance of creating recurring clients.

For certain businesses, it can be advantageous to see customers as data points…

…However, for the vast majority of businesses, it can be more than disastrous.

When customers learn they are being seen as statistics rather than people, it might have irreparable consequences for the company’s public image. Ultimately, it’s in the company’s best interest to treat customers as humans rather than numbers.

1. Talk to Them Like Humans

Oftentimes, in our own business, we forget that our customers and clients don’t know the industry like we do. They don’t know our business or what we offer like we do.

Yet, in our copy and our advertising, we treat them as if they are some idealized version of a client who already knows exactly what we want or hope they know.

This is rarely, if ever, the case. Which means we end up alienating our customers by making them feel less than what we expect humans to be.

You can treat your customers like humans by talking to them where they are at, at the different levels of understanding they may be at.

2. Show Them You Are Human

This one is simple, but effective.

Make sure you show the faces of those who make the magic happen. Better yet, show off fun facts about them, make them relatable – because they ARE relatable!

It is more comforting to know a good or service is provided by a person with hobbies and interests than by some unknown person they only see in email or hear over the phone.

3. Treat Them Like Partners

This one has been around for a while, so I won’t beat it to death…

But if you aren’t treating your customers like they are a partner and choosing to treat them like a transaction, then there is no hope for you…that ship sailed a long time ago.

People understand they are being sold to, but what they really want is to know that they aren’t in it alone and that they are making a contribution to society in some positive way. Make it clear to them that they are the hero…not you or your business…

4. Stop Pushing Sales

Speaking of how people can tell when they are being sold to…

No one likes it.

Everyone can smell it when someone is on the hunt for a sale out of them and not a single one of us enjoy the process. We may appreciate the skill, tactics, strategy, product, etc., etc. But, at the end of the day, if you want to treat your customers like humans you need to make sure they understand they are more than the sale.

5. Offer Help More Than You Ask

If you don’t genuinely want to help people, then you have no place in business. When you aim to help first and foremost, you will sell far more often. 

If you believe your product or service can help them, then offer it with that intention!

6. Show Your Appreciation

After you have made a sale (or not, even) make sure you show appreciation to your customers.

And your employees.

And your suppliers and vendors.

Publicly.

A word of gratitude in secret is wonderful, but an offer of appreciation made public is nearly priceless. To anyone. We all love to be loved, after all…

7. Be Vulnerable

And if you want to treat your customers like humans it is going to take a lot of vulnerability. 

We all appreciate a certain level of smoke and mirrors and professionalism…

…but we all want to be and need to be reminded that we are humans working with humans.

Don’t be afraid to share struggles with staffing, ask for specific guidance from customers and employees alike, and recall the uphill battle it takes to succeed.

We all love to root for someone, and when that someone (or some business) is honest with how things are going, then we want them to succeed all the more!

8. Avoid the Client-Facing Robots

This last one drives me insane!

AI Chatbots can be GREAT for getting things done and being available to customers for simple conversations…

…but they should NEVER be a replacement for getting in contact with a real person.

The number of times that I have tried to use a website or service, gotten a chatbot because it was after business hours (which is totally fine), and have no way of sending a message to be read later, make a phone call, or even send an email so an actual person can answer my questions…

…is infuriating…

Every time this has happened I have searched for business elsewhere. If I can’t reach a human right now, then I am okay with it. But I should be able to leave a message, somehow, for a human to read later on.

Ready to treat your customers like humans?

There you have it. Some practical, tangible ways to treat your customers like humans. 

If you are looking to implement these steps and looking for guidance, then I would love to connect and chat with you! I don’t have all the answers, but I’ll do my absolute best to help you out!

Otherwise, if you just want to contact me directly, then you can email me here. Either way, I would love to chat with you!