- Be consistent if you want loyal customers
- Frequently poll your customers with surveys
- Get to know your customers on a personal level
Be consistent if you want loyal customers
If customers are consistently satisfied with their service, they are more likely to return to a business. Invest in training your frontline staff on how to consistently provide a memorable experience for customers.
The best way to improve how your business deals with customers is to hear suggestions from your own staff. Instead of giving your employees a specific script to follow in every interaction, provide them with a broad outline of the mindset you want them to adopt. Employees can refresh their knowledge and practice their skills in customer service by attending regularly scheduled training sessions where they can participate in role-playing exercises. Improved customer retention rates are directly proportional to the amount of training provided to staff.
Frequently poll your customers with surveys
Not all customers will express their satisfaction with a product. Customers who are dissatisfied may remain silent for a variety of reasons, including laziness, inability to switch vendors, or contractual obligations.
Don’t assume you understand your customers’ reactions to your offering; instead, poll them. Establish a routine of survey distribution using a channel most convenient for your clientele (email, phone, even in-person meetings). To learn how you’re doing and where you can make improvements, solicit this feedback.
Get to know your customers on a personal level
Personal connections between businesses and their customers are the foundation of lasting business partnerships. Of course it’s crucial to provide a high-quality item, but there are plenty of competitors who can do the same at the same or a lower price. To keep a customer for life, you need to develop personal relationships with them.
When a customer enters your shop the next time, put down what you’re doing and inquire as to how their day has been. Be quiet about your wares (unless they specifically ask, of course). Don’t talk about politics or religion; instead, ask about their kids, vacation, and favorite sports teams. If you make an honest effort, they will remember it and be more compelled to return at a later time.