8 ideas for building customer loyalty
By Janie Pritchett-Clark
1. Put your customers in the spotlight. Customers love to be part of your marketing efforts, and giving them visibility makes them feel the love. Profile customers in your newsletters, write about them in your blog, create a spotlight section in your store or website, or name a special sale day after them – all to give them their 15 minutes of fame.
2. Build relationships one-on-one. We buy from those we like and trust. The only way to build that trust is to build a relationship. Look for opportunities to recognize your customers as people (not dollars) and celebrate who they are. Remember to return phone calls, emails and special requests promptly. Provide personal follow up on purchases and solicit feedback wherever possible.
3. Create value in every exchange. Customers are looking for value, solutions and opportunities. Take a holistic approach to customer service and remember that you aren’t selling a product so much as an opportunity to be your customers’ champion and ally. Leverage your expertise in helping them understand how the time they spend with you is a valuable exchange.
4. Mind your manners. Genuine, spontaneous recognition is a time-honored way to show your appreciation to your customers. Verbal greetings and farewells, written thank-you notes, and special gestures or gifts are simple but effective in showing how you feel about your customers.
5. Share your knowledge. As you uncover articles, ideas, tips and new information about products, services or interests that appeal to your customers, share them. If you are the author of the article, even better! You’ll be building credibility along with trust. Sharing can be as simple as something you clip and copy and slip into their bag with a handwritten note of purpose. Consider a bulletin board full of tips and testimonials, a scrapbook of ideas, or a sampling center for new products you have added or are thinking of adding.
6. Celebrate milestones. Look for opportunities to acknowledge birthdays, anniversaries and other dates of special importance to your customers. Choose times outside the mainstream so you don’t become part of the clutter in their lives. Why not celebrate the anniversary of their first purchase with you, the birthdates of grandkids, business anniversaries and the like? Create a meaningful gift item that fits your budget and style.
7. Keep it simple. The more sophisticated our world becomes, the more complicated it becomes. The human touch – in your store, website, phone message, advertisements, policies and procedures – is paramount. Your customers need to personally understand their relationship with you. Make sure they feel safe and smart in the encounter.
8. Be the customer. One of the best ways to evaluate your company is to be the customer you serve. Call your own shop and evaluate the experience. Browse your store or website. Stand in line. Ask questions. How well does your company listen to or respond to your customers? What would improve the experience? What can you do to educate, inspire and serve your customers’ needs?
