How your business will thrive through these unprecedented times despite the curveballs the world throws at it, is mostly determined by your customers’ loyalty. As Shep Hyken, Author of, Amaze Every Customer Every Time once said “Repeat customers are gold. Loyal customers are sacred. Do it right and your customers will be back again and again.’’
A loyal customer will always choose you over your competitors based on how you differentiate yourself. This means having a brand that stands out and provision of excellent customer experience. Loyal customers build a great community, that forms the secret ingredient to a great customer experience. It also costs less to have a regular customers than in making a new ones.
Winning customer loyalty has become an expensive affair and creative strategies are essential in order to successfully engage your customers. Hold your customers wants to heart, then walk the extra mile to ensure they needs are met.
BENEFITS OF CUSTOMER LOYALTY
Save on marketing costs – connecting with existing clients costs much less than attracting brand new customers. For brand new clients, it entails conducting market research to identify them and find out which channels to engage with them unlike with existing clients.
Gain referrals – giving your client excellent service will make them in return be brand advocates for your product/service to their friends.
Repeat business – loyal customers tend to come back often to purchase a product or a service due to; great customer experience, loyalty reward programs, staying in constant touch through their preferred communication channel and creating a lasting impression during the first interaction.
Enhanced brand image – having a positive brand image helps in customer acquisition, cross and up selling and reduction in marketing costs.
Honest feedback – loyal customers will give honest opinions about your product or service and provide information on areas of improvement, customer retention, new product launching and measuring customer satisfaction.
LOYALTY BUILDING STRATEGIES
Personalized and authenticated customer experiences – First understand who your target customers are and what their needs are from any online brand. Surveys are a good channel to collect data on what they want and their purchasing power. Reach out to them with a customized campaign as you connect with them on your different channels and deliver what they need. People need to count on you and what you are offering and not just your customer support team. The product must satisfy the need irrespective of how good your customer service is. “Confused customers will never be loyal. Confusion erodes trust. A lack of trust will cost you sales. A lack of trust costs you repeat business & will never earn you loyalty. Avoid uncertainty. Avoid inconsistencies. Avoid confusion!’’ -Shep Hyken
Consistent product quality – having a product in the market for a long period does not guarantee quality consistency over time since being introduced into the market. To promote customer loyalty, prioritize maintaining the quality of your products
Maintain a human touch – technology advancement is essential as it promotes efficiency but automated machines cannot answer all customer queries. Engaging customers one on one makes it easier to understand each another. Customers tend to open up more when they hear an understanding voice rather than hearing an automated beep of a machine.
Show care and concern – Noticing that a customers has not paid a visit or been in touch for a long time should prompt us to show concern. We should immediately reach out and let them know that we miss them and invite them back with a reward or gift. Letting our customers know that we value their presence makes a huge impact as they will reciprocate
Provision of omnichannel communication – one of the best ways to connect and keep in touch with customers is to have a multi-channel service system. This creates more customer interactions hence providing an opportunity to influence their experience with your brand.
Respond to reviews and feedback – does the feedback that your customer sends back just sit idle and gathers dust? Respond any time your customer gives feedback whether positive or negative. This shows that you value your customers’ opinions and that you are honestly paying attention to the perspectives that your customers have about you.
At Springboard Capital, we consistently check in with our customers to make sure they are happy with the products and services we provide. We will highly appreciate it if you would kindly spare 2-3 minutes fill this form in order for us to offer you the best products and solutions
Article by: Immaculate Kamunya, Customer Experience at Springboard Capital. She is enthusiastic customer service professional, skilled communicator and listener with a knack for remedying conflict, and keen organizational skills, which allow for effective delivery of outstanding service.
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