April is Customer Loyalty Month, tweeted Shep Hyken a few days back. I have to say, till then, I never realised we have a whole month dedicated to Customer Loyalty and all that it entailed. One month to appreciate the continuing loyalty and one month for a whole bunch of lessons in this so vital ingredient in any organisation’s success story! And what a better way to kick off the learning than by seeing what the great and the good have written?
Before we get into the thick of it, we at HappyFox would like to thank our customers for their loyalty and custom.
Every day, chez HappyFox, has been spent in fine-tuning our product, ensuring our quality of service is always top-notch and listening to our customers’ feedback to make sure that it remained so. So, thank you, our lovely customers for your loyalty.
Here’s a sobering thought: In 2014, 53% of consumers decamped elsewhere, not willing to put up with poor service. How’s that for stopping you in your tracks?
Let’s see what we can do ensure that doesn’t happen to us! Of course, it isn’t rocket science – if you treat your customers nicely, they will be more than happy to stick with us. And, if you do it really well, they’ll tell everyone about it!
1. If you treat your customers like friends rather than a revenue stream, they’re more likely to be loyal to you and refer their friends to you as well. — Natalie K. Gould
2. When you take the time to build a sales experience where customers feel recognized, welcomed, and have a hassle-free experience, they will choose to return to your business again and again. — Why Social Media Buzz Is Not Enough to Build Customer Loyalty
Nothing frustrates a customer than feeling like they are talking to a wall. So, make sure your communication channels are spiffing!
3. Above all else, customers want to be heard. They want companies to provide a way for them to voice their questions and concerns – and then provide answers and drive change accordingly. — Tabitha Dunn, Concur.
Transparency in everything will work wonders. When there’s no ambiguity, there’s no cause for your customers to feel blindsided.
4. When your customers know what to expect, and can trust that their experience will be consistent, it will add to the overall “magic” of working with you. — Nicole Smartt, Startup Collective
It is all very fine to map your customer journey from the end of the service provider. But unless you walk their path, chances are that you might not be aware of a few errant roots sticking out, ready to trip the unwary.
5. Experience the buying process yourself. Take stock of the buying experience your customers go through. Remember, 53% of customer loyalty comes from the purchase experience. — Mike Kamo, Marketing Profs
What is better than great customer service? Anticipatory customer service – which, almost always, never costs a penny but earns a lot of goodwill.
6. Anticipatory customer service is the fastest, most direct way to create customer loyalty. — Micah Solomon, Forbes
You have a great product. Super! But what combines with a superlative product to result in customer loyalty?
7. Customer loyalty doesn’t come from a great product; it comes from a great product paired with a fantastic customer experience. — Jennifer Winter, UX News
70% of companies say that it is cheaper to retain customers than to attract new ones. And the key to customer retention? Customer loyalty, of course!
8. What better way to retain existing client than to know their story and connect with them. The more you know about your customers, the better the connection. — Rohit Yadav, Pulse
We featured this awesome company last week and we have one important lesson to learn from Zappos, on the subject of loyalty (of course!):
9. Zappos does not operate a loyalty program, but it has launched its VIP program to recognize especially loyal customers. VIP customers get free next business-day shipping on all of orders; they are pushed to the front of the line when call volume is heavy; and are sent email notifications when “hot” merchandise comes in. — Bryan Pearson
So, when does a customer decide to throw in the towel and decide to sever relationship?
10.Confusion and distrust equals goodbye — Bob Enger, via Dom Nicastro
Best to make sure that clarity and trust rule supreme, eh?
Some great lessons here for us all. Let’s heed the wise words and practice good customer service, that begets customer loyalty. Because, in the words of the iconic Maya Angelou: “…people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
Share your tips for improving customer loyalty!
This article was syndicated from Business 2 Community: Customer Loyalty Month Special: 10 Great Tips to Foster Customer Loyalty
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