Customer loyalty is imperative to the success of your business. Repeat customers are likely to spend more money on your products and services and they aren’t as easy to influence with special offers or low prices, meaning that you won’t have to cut your profit margin by trying to compete to be the cheapest provider. They will get your business through quiet periods and encourage their peers to use your company too, bringing you new customers.
Customer loyalty does not have to cost you a lot of money to achieve but what are the best ways to encourage it?
Customer Service
It is often said that people buy from people. A polite smile and a kind word will encourage people to want to deal with your business. Spend a little time helping them and making them feel important. There is nothing like rapport for bringing in repeat business or encouraging customer loyalty. If someone wants to buy your product and you are less than polite to them, they won’t spend their money or want to do business with you in the future.
Knowledge
Knowledge is power and this is certainly true when it comes to encouraging customer loyalty. Proving that you are knowledgeable about your job is likely to impress customers and make them want to do business with you again. They may come back to you looking for advice or tell their friends that you know what you are talking about, thus encouraging repeat business and customer loyalty.
Take Customers Seriously
Customers can have the strangest request but if you take them seriously, they are more likely to be loyal. It may not be possible for a fancy restaurant to produce a well-done steak quickly or a paint supplier to sell a tin of tartan paint but taking customers seriously and taking the time to explain why you can’t provide what they are asking for in a calm and controlled manner will go a long way if you want them to spend money with you.
Personalization
Customers like to feel important and if you want to retain their loyalty, making them feel good about themselves is important. For example, if you have a mailing list of people you want to invite to a new store opening or think they would enjoy a special offer, then you could send out a blanket e-mail. However, this will not make them feel special as you haven’t personalized your digital invitations and your potential customer knows it.
Taking the time to address your customers personally by using Greenvelope’s digital invitations will make them feel special. This company can offer everything from business to formal events or even virtual event invitations. Customers will be more likely to take advantage of your offer if you take a personal approach and this will encourage their loyalty.
Remembering your customers is important if you want them to keep coming back. This can be relatively simple to achieve. For example, if you run a company where you take customer details, such as a restaurant or a supplies company, you will have their names on a database. There is often a notes section that you can take advantage of. Make a note of who you spoke to and what you discussed, even if it was about something seemingly trivial. Perhaps they told you that they were busy at work as their co-worker is sick. Inquiring after the co-worker’s health the next time you speak to your customer will show them you care and make them want to keep doing business with you.
Apologize for Mistakes
Mistakes happen and most customers realize that. They may be upset but there is an opportunity for you in that. Don’t be afraid to apologize for the way they are feeling and work with them to put things right. It is often the way you take control and manage any issues they have than the fact that things went wrong in the first place that will stick in their minds. If they know that whatever happens, you can put it right, they are more likely to be loyal to you. After all, if they take their business elsewhere and it doesn’t work out, another business owner may not be as accommodating or polite to them.
You might be busy trying to attract new customers but if you look after the ones that you already have, you will have a steady stream of money coming into the business without having to do a lot of extra work to attract it. Customer loyalty does not have to cost you a lot of money, but it can make a world of difference to your profits. Take the time to work on your soft skills and this will go a long way towards increasing your business.
