Your customers are the reason your business is in existence. Keeping up with them and making them feel they are appreciated is the key to customer retention and referrals.
Building lasting relationships is easy and costs your business very little. A little time on your part could mean a whole lot more time of holding onto that special customer.
Here are a few ideas:
- Brag about them. Tell the world about your customers and how wonderful they are. You can put a special testimonial or blurb on your website about what they do and how well they do it. If you have a FaceBook site you can rant about your customers. They will love it and want to share it with other potential customers.
- Show them you appreciate their business. Send a handwritten thank-you note and a coupon for their next visit. Everyone loves to save money and they are more likely to return to you if they feel they have a connection. If they pay their bills on time offer a small reward or once again, send a coupon. This doesn’t need to be every month, just often enough to keep them returning for more.
- Let them know you listen. After interacting with your customers log your notes. Include personal conversations, for example; are they married, have children or pets, do you know their birthday? These notes will help you to write a more personal note or remind you about a special occasion.
- Keep up with them. Respond to calls promptly. Don’t leave a customer thinking too long about a problem or concern they may have, the issue may get larger by the time you finally return the call. Stay away from automated systems. Nobody likes to be the next caller in line, only to find out they were in the wrong department in the first place.
Your customers want to be loyal, make it easy for them.
