In today’s world, your closest competitors are literally a click away. With high competition, your company’s reputation is front and center. With a quality reputation, customers are more likely to be loyal to your brand. Loyalty means repeat buyers and increased referrals. This turns into boosted sales and makes your company more profitable.
Acquiring a new customer can cost 4 to 10 times more than retaining existing customers. To outpace your competitors, you’ll need to ensure top notch customer satisfaction.
Want to wow your customers to boost their perception of your brand? If so, continue reading for 6 business practices that build customer loyalty.
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1) Get Involved in Social Media
Social media is the way of the world, so it’s more likely than not that your company uses it as a marketing vessel. To get the most out of social media and to wow your customers, get involved! Take the time to respond to questions and concerns. Don’t hesitate, take part in the conversation, and give it that personal touch.
The best part of joining the conversation is that you can market while still becoming part of the crowd. Take customers on a backstage view of your company using Facebook Live. Post images of your product on Instagram.
Taking part in social media activity gives your company a human feel. It also helps build your brand and reputation.
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2) Offer Incentives
Incentives are a great way to get people to return to your company. Create an incentive program that fits well with your target audience. Offer things such as:
- Frequent shopper points
- Buy one get one free sales
- Coupons and discounts
- Rebates
- A free service (such as shipping, consultation, etc)
- Gift cards
Incentives solidify a consumer’s choice to spend their hard-earned money on your product or service. Incentives are also a great way to boost customer interest during slow business periods.
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3) Be Reliable
Your company’s mission, values, and words matter. Reputations hinder on a company’s ability to remain reliable. The more reliable your company is, the more favorable it is from a consumer’s standpoint.
Ensure you keep up with all company communications, warranties, and promises. If you offer a 50% discount or a limited time offer, ensure you provide just that. It’s also important to be considerate of customer concerns, time, and money. For example, if your company offers next day low-cost services, you’ll need to ensure you’re on time and on budget.
When inconveniences happen, always side with the customer and strive to resolve the issue.
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4) Send Personalized Responses
Sometimes customers will reach out to your customer service team to send compliments and praise. Other times customers may be unhappy with their purchase, or to seek an answer to a question. While your company can and should respond via email, it’s also worthwhile to send paper responses.
Personalized responses show customers that you’re listening and that you care. Take time to follow up with customers who show high praise or those who may have gone through a bad experience with the company. Sending a personalized response builds your company’s reputation.
To add a personalized touch, send correspondence on company letterhead. Ensure your signature is part of the letter.
Worried about time management with snail mail messages? Purchase a customized company stamp from places like Stamptopia to save time and add a professional touch to your envelope.
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5) Encourage Feedback
Customer loyalty and customer testimonials go hand-in-hand. Customers like to know that their voices are heard and that their thoughts matter. Good reviews boost your company’s reputation and can convert prospective buyers into long-term customers.
To encourage customer feedback:
- Reach out to customers post purchase
- Ask for reviews via email or on social media
- Run a contest to boost interest in leaving a review
- Respond to customer comments and reviews
Feedback is also beneficial to the company. A negative testimonial can be turned into a learning experience for the company. Maybe your customer service team needs extra training in dealing with irate customers, or maybe your product can be updated to fix a flaw.
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6) Get to Know Your Customers
Building a loyal customer base is all about making connections. Get to know your customers on a personal basis. Find ways to use the information they provide to build a relationship with them.
For instance, use a customer’s email address and birthdate to send a happy birthday ecard online offering them well wishes. You could also send a birthday month coupon for customers to enjoy your solution and save money.
Customers like to feel valued. Ensure your customers feel as if they are part of the company family.
Conclusion
Bad service can be detrimental to your company. More than 90% of customers won’t return after a bad first experience. Set the bar high by ensuring customer satisfaction.
Remember, happy customers make a successful company.
How do you ensure customer satisfaction? What practices are most important for your company? Tell us all about it!
