Keeping an existing customer is much easier than trying to bring in a new one for each sale, but Ensuring that your customers stay loyal to you is not always easy.
It costs more to find new customers than it does to keep the ones you already have, so it makes sense to do your best to keep those who are already satisfied with your services or products.
Strategies to build customer loyalty for your products or services
Building customer loyalty is a step that many companies skip, because they are so focused on attracting new customers. It is much more expensive to market to new customers than to sell to those who have already had experience with you and know what to expect from your brand.
1. It starts well and ends well
The beginning and end of any customer interaction is what they remember the most, so you need to make sure that no matter what happens in the middle of the conversation, it needs to start and end nicely. The best way to do this is to ensure that each customer is greeted with a friendly smile. Your problems should be solved as quickly and efficiently as possible and, when everything is complete, double-check to make sure the solution is satisfactory.
A follow-up note or phone call may be appropriate in some cases and can make all the difference in how a customer feels about your business.
2. Be consistent
When you eat at a restaurant every week, it is usually because you like the food. If the quality of your food is completely unpredictable, sometimes surprising, sometimes terrible, you will likely start looking for a new place to eat. The same goes for any business. When you provide great service one day and terrible service the next, you risk losing customers.
Strive to always provide good customer service and quality products so people keep coming back. Not only will they be happy to keep buying from you, but they will also let their friends know about great customer service, winning new customers without extra marketing.
3. Stay in touch
Today, we have many methods of connecting with customers, but the key to building loyalty is staying in touch for the long term. This can be done in several ways:
- Email newsletters
- Birthday or holiday cards
- Printed newsletters
- Social media
By maintaining regular contact, whether by email or post, you keep your business fresh in the customer’s mind. Each email will remind them of what you have to offer that could easily lead to sales. To increase the chances that they will buy again, you can include a coupon or a special sale only for past customers.
4. Go the Extra Mile
Think about your favorite store or restaurant and then think about what really makes you enjoy spending money there. It’s usually the little things that matter, like when the waitress remembers your name or the store clerk helps you carry the packages to your car – these are the little details that stick in your mind and make the business go your way. attract more.
The same principles apply when you have your own business. Make sure you go the extra mile for your clients and they will not only remember it, they will even tell their friends and you will realize that you will win clients for life. Look for opportunities to give your customers a little more extra cash, even if it’s just letting them put their purse down for a moment while they run into the store next door.
Personalized service will also help you win long-term customers. When you realize that a customer likes a particular product or has a specific interest, you can make sure that you always store what it is going to come in. If necessary, reserve the product for them and call to let them know when you have a new shipment. They will appreciate the gesture and will keep coming back.
5. Show your appreciation
It really takes very little for your customers to know that you appreciate them. There are several ways to show this.
- Offer only special customer offers
- Give coupons or vouchers for free products or services
- Send them samples
- Send cards or emails for special occasions
- Give them public recognition
These don’t have to be big tokens of appreciation; even a simple thank you note can let the client know that you are happy to work with them.
6. Choose your employees carefully
In most cases, you will not be dealing directly with clients. This task is left to the employees, which means that you must not only ensure that you are selecting friendly people, but also give them the motivation and training to be excellent at customer service. This involves training anyone you hire to be knowledgeable enough to help a customer instead of turning them down, as well as keeping your employees happy. They will tend to treat clients the way they are being treated, so if you provide a good work environment, your clients will be happy too.
You should also have some guidelines in place. Is the customer always right or do you have limits on how far you will go to please them? Let your employees know what the limits are, and be sure to tell them to go the extra mile to help customers and keep them happy. This will be much easier if you have chosen friendly people to work for you, as they will automatically be more pleasant and treat clients with extra respect.
Keeping your current customers is much easier than finding new customers, so take advantage of the resource at your fingertips and make sure your customers want to come back. A friendly, complete service and a great human team are the key to success in this area.