Your profit margin can be directly contributed to your customers. No customers, no profit, it’s as simple as that. But, unfortunately, you can’t just expect to throw your doors open and have a steady flow of paying customers every day until you die – it doesn’t work like that. You have to work at attracting them and, above all, retaining loyal customers. There are some incredibly simple ways in which you can make your customers feel valued and happy – and those are the feelings that will make your customers want to return.
Customer Service
The main focus for your customer interactions is in delivering good customer service. Making sure that you have welcoming staff who are happy to help anyone will go a long way towards making your customers feel happy and welcome.
Customer service starts at the top; if managers and supervisors aren’t delivering it themselves, then the people working under them won’t be either. You need to ensure that everyone from you downwards is following the same rules and meeting the same standards.
Communication
Communication goes both ways within a business; if there are any chances happening in your company or in your individual locations then let your customers know. For example; if you have a store that will be closed for maintenance or an event one day, then pop up a sign a few days in advance. And you need to always be easily contactable by your customers.
On your website and social media make sure that there is a phone number and emails address available for enquiries, and you can take it further, and more modern, by implementing this service you can have a text conversation with your customer, which could be a lot more convenient for them.
Rewards
Another way of maintaining customers is to rewards them for their loyalty. Rewards cards, either a basic stamp collecting card, or an electronic cards to collect points on. Your rewards can be as little or large as you wish, and you can use other reward systems too. Like birthday vouchers, or special offers to registered customers – you can send them through email or credit their online account.
Marketing
When putting together your marketing campaign, your customers should be at the heart of it. The only way your numbers will grow is if you advertise the right way – look at your primary audiences and make an effort to talk to them, while also targeting some of your smaller demographics.
You want your main audience to keep on growing, but that rate tends to slow down or stay at a steady number. Where if you can bring in a new audience, without compromising your product or service, you can receive an influx of new customers. Marketing also means maintaining contact with your customers through social media.
When you receive a comment, respond to it. It might just be a load of likes with a handful of written responses, but the effort makes the customer feel like their opinion is valued. And do the same with their complaints – if you publicly respond, even if it’s just to say thank you and you will look into It, makes the customer feel like they have a voice and that you will listen to it.