While it may be normal for businesses to lose a customer here and there, they may or may not take the time to find out where the problem occurred. Some business owners attribute this type of loss to customer unpredictability, but customers are typically pretty reasonable and usually only stop patronizing a business for a valid reason.
Like it or not, customers are the source of every business’ profit, so it is in the best interest of companies to build strong and lasting relationships with their clientele.
(Pixabay / edar)
If you find your customers falling out of love with you, here are a few tips to ensure a good outcome.
- Stay active on social media: Almost everyone today is present on social media. Your presence on social media cannot only be profitable, but it helps establish a line of communication between you and your customers. Even if you don’t personally love social media, it’s important to go where your clients are congregating.
- Listen, listen, listen: If you’ve worked retail for any length of time, you probably know that the customer isn’t always right, but regardless of who is wrong or right, everybody wants to be heard. This rings especially true where complaints about a product or service are involved. Give your customers the opportunity to speak up about what they think of your product or service. Encourage them to give feedback, and when they do, you should listen and act promptly.
Don’t worry if your customers give you negative feedback because, with a little bit of elbow grease, you can turn poor reviews into something positive. By addressing the problem head-on, you will gain customer loyalty and trust.
- Treat customers like people, not numbers: To some businesses, customers are only numbers that bolster their bottom line. As hard as they might try not to let that mindset impact their customer service, it has a funny way of shining through.
No person wants to be treated like a statistic. When you deal with your customers, you should remember their names and some facts about them, which will help you personalize your service. Do this, and your customers will love you.
- Encourage loyalty: Rewarding your loyal customers is a sign of that you appreciate their business. Give small gifts or discounts to strengthen their commitment to your brand. Everybody loves freebies, no matter how small.
Add a personal touch to the loyalty rewards by sending your customers a small gift or greeting on their birthday. When you have an inactive customer, get in touch with him or her with some news about your business or a special discount to woo them back.
- Keep communication timely and relevant: Communicating with your customers is as essential to a business relationship as communicating with friends and family is to personal relationships. Make it a point to regularly reach out to your customers by way of email and other forms of communication. To take it up a notch, send a tailored message to your customers based on their personal preferences.
If you have lost a customer in the past because you made a mistake in how you handled the delicate business/customer relationship, be willing to accept the fault and make necessary changes to maintain healthy business relationships. You won’t be able to make everyone happy all of the time, but you can continuously modify your practices to make them as customer-oriented as possible.
