In this day and age, business is so competitive that it’s difficult to hold onto your customers and make them loyal to one brand only. Your competitors may be able to offer something you just aren’t able to, so you need to put a few policies into practice if you want to keep your customers. As a business, you need to stand out from the crowd. What will make customers choose your business and products above all the rest?
Customer Rewards
Doesn’t it feel good when you’re rewarded for something? Your customers will come back if they feel like they’ve been treated well; not just during their transaction but afterwards, too. Many businesses keep their customers by creating loyalty schemes, like stamp cards, that add up to valuable discounts after time. It also doesn’t hurt to send out free gifts, like small samples of new products. It isn’t just a way of thanking customers for making a purchase; it’s also a way of keeping your business in their minds.
Customer Service
It’s never more frustrating when you’re trying to get hold of a customer services team and all you’re getting in return is a queue and some dodgy 80’s music. If your customers need answers to their questions, you can set yourself apart from the rest by resolving their issues quickly. Allow your customers to reach you on all kinds of platforms including email, social media and website chat. Make sure you’re quick to respond and return any phone calls promptly. If you can stop your customers from reaching the point of frustration, you’re way ahead of the curve.
Keep Your Promises
There have been many businesses that have made false promises to customers and found themselves out of business not long after that. Don’t be tempted to make grandeur promises to your customers in an effort to draw them in if you can’t keep them. What you promise should always be what you provide. Otherwise, customers will soon catch on and they won’t be afraid to complain. This is never truer than around the Christmas season when customers are keener to shop and buy. Take a look at How to Make Lifelong Customers from Impulse, Seasonal Buyers. There’s no point in making a ton of money around Christmas and making nothing the rest of the year.
Be Credible
It isn’t just your customers that need to stay loyal to you; a business needs to stay loyal to its customers, too. Establishing a relationship built on trust is one of the most important things you can do. If a customer feels you may not be trustworthy, there’s nothing stopping that customer from visiting your competitor instead. You can build credibility by creating a brand. A business with a brand is far more likely to be viewed as trustworthy than one without a brand. Similarly, the first customers of a new should have a good experience. Feedback received from these important customers will set the tone for what potential customers think.
It’s not something that can be done overnight, but it can be done.
