subject: 6 Easy Steps To Customer Loyalty [print this page] The only thing better than a new customer is a repeat customer; they are walking, talking and interactive billboards for any company. Returning customers prove that you did something right the first time to have earned their business again. Loyal customers are more than collateral income, because they commonly will advocate your products and services to friends and family developing a larger, more secure customer base. How do you build customer loyalty? How do you retain frequent shoppers? Here are six tips to have customers return again and again.
1.Keep your employees happy.
Success begins from the top, down. If your employees value their job and their employer, they will take pride in telling their friends and family about the company.
2.Promote customer service.
Repeat customers return because of their experience with your company. Continue a tradition of keeping them happy by training employees how to interact with customers and handle unpredicted situations. If for some reason a customer is unhappy, it might be best to bend the rules to protect your investment.
3.Reach out to customers.
A good way to keep customers coming back is to remind them of their good experience. From something as simple as a holiday greeting card to a quarterly newsletter, keeping contact with clients is an effective way of updating them on new services and products, as well as inviting them to return.
4.Implement a customer loyalty program.
Offer incentives for customers to return to your business. From coupons to promotions, there are numerous incentives to give customers through a loyalty program. You can also keep track of purchasing histories to ensure you have popular products and services on-hand, at all times to please repeat customers. Additionally, add value to your loyalty program beyond discounts and coupons by adding additional services or credits for only members of the program.
5.Always look to improve your services and/or products.
Although your frequent customers return to you because of the good experience they have with each visit, there is always room to improve. Survey your loyal customers to learn what areas of your business they would like to see enhanced, or if there is something they would like to see in the future. This not only demonstrates care for your customers, but also keeps you one step ahead of your competition.
6.Know your customers.
Do not forget about good ole fashion people skills. Although technology is excellent way to make businesses more efficient, most customers prefer to be able to talk to someone directly, especially if it is to discuss a problem. Learn the names and faces of frequent customers and remind them that you appreciate their business.
A repeat customer can be a worthy investment; aside from continued business, they are walking, talking and interactive billboards for any company. From training employees how to interact with clients to customer loyalty programs, there are numerous methods to continue to please customers to ensure they return. The 6 methods listed throughout this article provide a solid foundation for any business to establish or retain loyal customers.
