Customers are beginning to understand that their true value to companies goes well beyond their wallets. This is the age of the empowered customer, when a single complaint on social media can cost a business millions of dollars, an online review can shape the fortune of a restaurant and feedback can significantly affect business decisions.
The dynamics of the relationship have shifted so customers have more power in their relationships with companies. As a result, the attention, data and opinions that customers are willing to provide companies have taken on significant value.
Customers are starting to recognize their nonmonetary value and in return they expect more than a receipt and a thank you. In , creating quality products and delivering exceptional services will be table stakes. They will no longer be enough to differentiate a single company from the competition. Instead, companies will need to consider the true value of their customer relationships and provide meaningful value in return.
Here are four strategies for businesses to be sure customers keep coming back. Companies need to see their customers as people not data points. They must to find a way to be personal with their customers and connect with them on a human level. An enormous benefit of companies getting to know their customers as individuals is being able to provide them personalized experiences.
Bespoke service is in. Your website should be pleasing to the eye and easy to navigate. Make your contact information readily available. Listen to your customers Another great way to retain customers is to get feedback on what your customers like and dislike about your business. Stay in communications with your customers Look at your existing customers as a major group to focus your marketing efforts.
Reward your most loyal customers Customers love to feel special, so make them feel special! Offering a free drink after 5 stars. Grandfathering in prices for long-term customers when price rates increase.
Sending surprises after a certain number of orders Giving one month free if customer purchases a year-long subscription etc. Make Saw. Twitter Tweet. Facebook Share. Stay Connected Join over , of your peers and receive our weekly newsletter which features the top trends, news and expert analysis to help keep you ahead of the curve.
Get the best of B2C in your inbox: Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up. Your subscription was successful. Popular Articles. The researchers concluded that the mints created the feeling of a personalized experience among the customers who received them. So it was the personalized service received that made them enjoy their experience so much more — and brought them back. Cultivating shared values means taking an interest in your clients and their business.
Do some research on their business, understand how you play a role in their day-to-day activities, and use this information to strengthen your relationship. Anticipatory service is a proactive approach to customer service. Instead of waiting for problems to occur, a company that implements anticipatory service can eliminate problems before they happen.
When it comes to customer service that keeps people coming back, the research shows that quality matters more than speed. Use this time wisely, though; have employees attempt to find out key customer traits. The best way to improve your customer service efforts is to utilize the channel your customers most prefer. Although recent research has shown that a majority of people still prefer and use email more than other services including social networking , you need to pick the channel that makes the most sense for your business.
Countless case studies have made one thing clear when it comes to creating an efficient support system: you need to keep everybody in the loop, customers and employees. The key to creating customer loyalty programs that work is to know why customers use them and what gets customers to keep using them.
Consumer researchers Joseph Nunes and Xavier Dreze found that people are twice as likely to keep using their loyalty cards if they are rewarded as soon as they sign up. Be sure to protect the investment you made in earning their business the first time by taking the best possible care of them once they are in the fold.
After the sale, devote resources to continuing to build the relationship instead of merely setting your sights on the next transaction. Opportunities can include being active on social media, sending clients a special incentive, and regular communication such as email newsletters. However, there is a fine line between keeping in touch and becoming a nuisance. Your communication should be meaningful and have a purpose.
A customer may have hired you once, but that doesn't guarantee they will think of you the next time they need the services you offer. You are competing for their attention amidst a million other distractions every day this is true with both retail and business-to-business companies. If you provide services to other companies and you haven't heard from them in a while, reach out and let your contact know you would appreciate their future business.
Give your customers a reason to shop with you again.
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