In case you didn’t know, April is Customer Loyalty Month. But have you ever stopped to think what would happen if your company focused on improving customer loyalty every day of the year? According to several sources, it can cost between four and 10 times more to acquire a new customer than it does to keep an existing one. That’s why improving customer loyalty is so important!
The only question is, where do you start? By providing excellent customer service and increasing your existing customers’ confidence in your business.
Tips for Improving Customer Loyalty
As customer service expert and New York Times best-selling author Shep Hyken likes to say, “There is a big difference between a satisfied customer and a loyal customer.” To get your customers from simply being satisfied to being loyal promoters of your business, it’s going to take some effort. Here are some tips Shep Hyken points out in his blog that will help you out:
- “Ask yourself the customer loyalty question: As the customer is working with you, ask yourself, ‘Is what I’m doing right now with this customer going to get the customer to come back the next time he or she needs what I sell?’
- Create confidence by always doing what you say you will do. If you promise you will call someone back in an hour, it had better be an hour. If you have an appointment or meeting, show up on time – not even five minutes late.
- Pick up the phone to check in with your customers. Just check in to see how they are doing. While not necessarily a social call, it’s not about selling something either. This shows you’re as interested in the relationship as you are the business, maybe even more so.
- Don’t forget your “other” customers. The other customers are your internal customers, the people you work with and your suppliers. You want to have a great relationship with everyone you do business with or work with, which includes outside customers, your colleagues at work, and the people who supply you whatever you need to do business. It’s the trifecta!
- Finally… don’t ever forget to say thank you. It can be in person, on a phone call, in an email, or even a thank you note. Note: Thank you notes are more appreciated than any other expression of thanks.”
These are just a few ways to improve customer loyalty. An answering service can help you take it to another level.
How an Answering Service Can Help
As a business owner, your time is limited. Are you able to answer every phone call that comes into your business? Things like missed calls, extensive ringing and putting customers on hold can cause frustration and decrease loyalty. Plus, there are always days when you may be stressed and less polite than usual. With an answering service, on the other hand, your existing customers will be greeted by a friendly voice who will provide excellent customer service every single time.
Don’t just celebrate Customer Loyalty Month in April. Make it a year-long effort and you’ll start enjoying loyal customers in no time.