Keeping Customers Loyal
By: Lisa Campbell
A healthy customer relationship is an indication of strong business. If you want your business to flourish, don’t aim for having satisfied customers; aim to have loyal customers instead. They will keep your business going at a continuous profit and they will even market your products or services to other people. But how do you really keep customers from availing your products and services?
1. Nurture your employees
Train your staff effectively. Make sure they are giving good customer service by providing them training that will help them gain the right knowledge and skills to handle customers. It is never enough to just teach them how to make profit and work for you. Also, it can be helpful to let them know that they are valued by giving them the benefits and incentives they deserve especially if they are working hard for your business.
2. Create a loyalty program
Be it a discount for bulk orders or freebies for continued patronage, a loyalty program will keep people buying you products. Give them a reason to enjoy the experience of buying something from you. Don’t just sell them products; sell them good experience in buying your products.
3. Send regular newsletters
Inform your customers of the recent developments, promotions and events. More than just continued advertisement, it will make them feel valued. During holidays, send them greetings be it through email, snail mail or a package with a trinket.
4. Remember special occasions
Don’t just send an email blast to all your customers during holidays. It is more sincere to send them greetings or gifts on their birthday or even after a successful transaction when they order in bulk. Build a personal level of relationship beyond the goal of profitability.
5. Keep your promise
When you promise an incentive or a special discount, keep it. Make sure you say words that you can accomplish and not just words that will impress them today but upset them tomorrow. This is part of the integrity that your business needs to keep customers loyal to you.
6. Focus on integrity
Aside from keeping your promise, a good if not the best quality is your primary key towards customer satisfaction, leading to loyalty. Make sure they get what they deserve for every penny they pay you and if possible, exceed their expectations.
7. Exceed expectations
This does not only mean giving them more than what they seem to pay for. It means pampering them while they are inside your shop. It means giving them free dinner in every client meeting. It means a free drink while they wait for the next agent who will attend to them.
8. Get feedback
Know what the customers like or don’t like about your products or services. Be open for any comments as these lead to the growth of your business. When they think something needs to be improved, acknowledge it and make sure you do something to show them that their suggestions are heard.
9. Prioritize customer retention
It is easier to retain a good customer than to look for new ones. Have a retention arm for existing and even old customers who moved to another brand. Continue communicating with them to let them know how serious your business is just to keep them or to have them back. Do not take any of them for granted especially when they already made several transactions with you before. And when your business does them wrong, make it right as promptly as you can.
10. Be in charge
If you are the owner or the manager, be the face of your business. This does not mean doing small stuff yourself. If there is an issue, be it positive or negative; show your customers that you are a hands-on merchant and that you are genuine in making business with them.
Post contributed by: Lisa Campbell, a writer for Become, Inc—a product price comparison site for online shoppers. She’s an ecommerce enthusiast and also loves to write about social media and marketing-related topics.
