5 ways to build Customer Loyalty

ProfitMeister guest post by Heather Johnson

Heather Johnson is a freelance business, finance and economics writer, as well as a regular contributor at Business Credit Cards, a site for business credit card and best business credit card offers.

Many companies deny the truth that about 80 percent of your business comes from the same 20 percent of their customers. But if you are aware of this crucial fact then you’re ahead in the game and it’s important you keep this in mind at all times. If you can retain a solid customer base you’ll have a better shot at being a success. Here are some tips to consider when you try to build customer loyalty:

1. Reach out to your customers. It’s important to make your customers feel respected. Keep in touch with your customers through mailings, e-mails or simple holiday greetings. If you communicate with you customer base at a rate that doesn’t annoy them, then you more likely to keep your customers coming back for more.
2. Customer service is crucial. The way a customer feels when his experience is completed with your company is the most important thing in building customer loyalty. If you train your staff to deal with customers in a thorough, respectful manner then you’re on the right road. Fellow customers talk to each other and if your customer service is poor it will spread through the grapevine very quickly.
3. Train your employees properly. If your own staff is unprepared to meet the challenge of dealing with customers then that will be evident immediately to your customers. Many employees groan when training sessions roll around but it’s crucial that you take the time to thoroughly train your employees. This will shine through when they deal with customers.
4. Create incentives for your customers to keep coming back. If you’re offering services that your customers will need more of, it’s a good idea to make it worth your customer’s while to come back to you. If it’s a sandwich shop that you’re operating, make customer’s tenth sandwich free. Customers will be more apt to go to a company that has these types of offers because everyone wants to get something for free.
5. Be reliable. If you’ve said a product will be shipped to a customer by Monday then make sure it happens. Keeping a customer waiting will foster bad blood and leave them less likely to return to you. If something happens that slows down an intended process then explain the issue to your customer and refund them or offer a rebate to compensate for the delay.

Heather welcomes comments and freelancing job inquiries at her email address heatherjohnson2323@gmail.com .