It doesn’t matter what type of business you have, a key aspect is retaining a steady customer base. Attracting new customers can cost a lot of money, and if you compare it to simply maintaining customer loyalty the difference is staggering. Regardless of this, numerous businesses feel it’s acceptable to simply neglect their existing customer base.
If your goal is a business that thrives and lasts for a long time then you should put effort towards maintaining a relationship with your customers. Ensuring you do this will create customer loyalty that will definitely pay off.
Here are eleven tips that’ll ensure you keep customer loyalty:
Communicate
Communication can be achieved in so many different ways, yet it’s amazing how few businesses communicate successfully. It could be a monthly email newsletter, a reminder card or simply a seasonal greeting card, any of these easily reach out to any customers you already have.
Although it may take time out of your day, spending time to create and maintain a database of contact information can be incredibly useful in the future. By using social media you can interact with your customers directly and personally.
Something to remember is that your message doesn’t have to be advertising. It can be off-putting for a customer if they’re constantly being sold to, instead focus on a friendly message they will appreciate.
Top notch customer service
Having good customer service often means you may need to go the extra mile, but it’s worth it in the long term. A customer will remember if they were treated well, resulting in repeat business. Remember though, a customer will also remember if they were treated badly, so depending on how you react can directly affect your customer base.
When a customer lets you know that they aren’t satisfied, it gives you an opportunity to not only resolve their issue, but also improve a potentially weak part of your service.
To ensure you can deal with any customer service problems make sure you can easily be contacted. It could be in person, by phone or via email, it’s essential that you can respond to any complaints instantly. Always treat a complaint with respect; remember, your reputation can be greatly affected by the outcome.
Provide customer incentives
It’s important to make sure customers return to your business, and one of the easiest ways of doing this is by providing customer incentives. There are numerous ways you can do this:
- Buy one, get one free
- A points scheme
- Including free service
- Occasional free gifts
- Gift cards
All of these are valid reasons why a customer would choose to go back to your business. It’s also possible to tie this in with your marketing, helping you to target the correct audience and gain new customers in the process. If you are currently having a slow period then customer incentives can be used to promote new stock.
Be known for reliability
The reputation of a business is greatly affected by its reliability, both in the service and the actual products it sells. If both of these have high levels of reliability it’s likely you will have a good reputation. A good example of this is Amazon. It isn’t rare for a person to order an item with standard delivery (3 to 5 days), and it arrive in a mere two days.
Not only this, but if you explain that a delivery will occur on Thursday at 4pm, make sure it happens. It’s a common complaint when a customer waits all day for a delivery that doesn’t occur. Don’t let this happen to you; communicate honestly.
If something does go wrong tell the customer. The majority of times a person will be understanding and grateful that you’ve explained what has happened. If you believe they deserve it you can always offer compensation for their inconvenience.
Don’t rely on automated technology for communication
There are very few things more frustrating then trying to communicate with a business but you simply get forwarded through to an automated machine. This is something everyone can relate to, so why do numerous business feel this is an acceptable system to have?
Nobody wants to be stuck listening to the same looping music until someone finally answers the phone. Make sure you have enough people that can handle a high volume of calls. Instead of having an automated waiting system, ask the caller to leave a name and number so you can call back when there’s free time.
Talk to a customer by using their name
This may be a simple one, but it’s amazing just how much of an impact using a customer’s name can have. A person will feel important and respected, ensuring that they’ll return in the future. Give your own name as well, it then feels less like they’re talking to a faceless organisation.
It’s normal for people to feel a connection once they know someone’s name, setting the steps towards a long term customer relationship. When someone recognises your name it also shows that you are willing to be accountable for that persons query, something that can be respected.
Allow customers to stay logged into your website
Although it may be another simple one, allowing someone to stay logged into your website has a large impact on their relationship with you. It may only save 30 seconds of time, but a customer will appreciate not having to mess around logging in every time.
There’s also the chance that a customer will forget their password or email address, causing them a large headache. In some cases they’ll simply give up, meaning that you’ve missed out on their business.
This can translate over to mobile websites as well. It can be annoying logging on to a website through a small screen. Ensuring their details can be saved stops them from going to another website.
Make the most of special occasions
Showing that your business cares can make a massive difference when it comes to solidifying customer loyalty. Whether it’s a customer’s birthday, anniversary as a member or something similar, showing that you remember these dates can mean a lot.
You could give them a free gift, a discount or simply an interesting card, it’ll show how you care. To get the right dates you can make it so they fill out the information when they sign up to your website. This information can be inputted into a system that alerts you when a special day is coming up.
Utilise feedback
A lot of businesses get worried when it comes to feedback but it’s something that can build customer loyalty and advance your company. For a customer it allows them to have a say in the business they invest money in. You can assist this by replying in an email explaining how you’ve dealt with any problems they had.
By fixing any issues a customer had you’ll show how you’re willing to adapt your business to a customers needs. It also allows you to notice and rectify problems that you may not have previously identified.
Give customers the spotlight
Allow customers to be the centre of attention. If someone already has a relationship with your business then they’ll enjoy being recognised. This can be done through social media or a blog. Encourage customers to take to Twitter with your own hashtag, this doesn’t only market your business but it creates something that’s more personal.
One of the best things about this is that it doesn’t cost any money. It comes with its own benefits, as earned marketing is more credible than something that has been paid. Showcasing how you want to stay involved with your customers is never a bad thing.
Follow a transaction up
A lot of businesses will simply sell an item and that’s the end of their involvement with their customers. It’s just so easy to follow up a purchase to make sure everything was as they expected. An email can be sent out a few days after the sale has been made, showing how you care about customer satisfaction.
It’s also a good time to ask for customer feedback. Simply send out a survey. If you struggle to get enough answers back offer an incentive such as a gift card or voucher that can be won in a draw.
Tips for building customer loyalty
These are eleven tips that you should embrace to ensure you create customer loyalty which can help advance your business. Without your customers the business wouldn’t exist, so it makes sense to treat them well.
If you have any other tips for keeping customer loyalty we’d love to hear them. Join the conversation on Twitter: @theukseo.