19th: Reward your recurring customers
Sep 25, 2023
Small or big, every business needs a stable base of loyal customers who will always choose you over your competition no matter what. These loyal customers will be more willing to forgive you when you mess things up. They will become your brand advocate and do word-of-mouth publicity for you.
Here are a few simple, inexpensive, and proven ways that may help you build and maintain customer loyalty.
- Provide exceptional customer service. This is non-negotiable. No matter how good your product is, if you don’t treat your customers respectfully or care about their needs, they won’t come back. Remember that you need them and not vice versa. Train your staff to be active listeners and prompt problem solvers. Do your best you can to live up to your customers’ expectations.
- Start a loyalty program to appreciate your customers for being with you. Special offers, discounts, loyalty points, social media posts about them, using their pics on promotional materials (strictly with their consent), etc. are some of the popular strategies to reward your recurring customers.
- Start referral programs and encourage your customers to participate in them. Reward them for their referrals. Referral programs encourage customers to bring more leads and use the rewards, which help boost your earnings.
- Maintain a human connection with your loyal customers. Do not always talk about business. Ask them how their day was and also talk about what's going on in your life. You can talk about weather, politics, and almost anything they might be interested in. Wish them on their birthdays and anniversaries. You may give them a special discount or a free add-on service. Host special events exclusively for them and their families.
It takes 5 times more effort and money to acquire a new customer than to retain an existing one. So, try your best to be a business they would happily go for.
