7 Ways to Build Customer Loyalty

BANGALORE, INDIA: A set of  loyal customers can ensure a steady business and a higher bottom-line without having to engage in price wars or heavy spending on acquiring new client base.

Here are a few quick steps on creating relationships that pay!

1. Make a Great First Impression

The first time a customer walks into your store or hires your services; make sure you give them an experience to remember. For example,  Those who have been to Mainland China, the popular Chinese restaurant chain, cannot stop talking about the complimentary Chinese tea that is served several times during the meal. This creates a positive impression on the customer, who wants to come back again.

2. Know their names

Customers like it when you recognise them by their names. It shows you care. Try to remember their preferences, too. In earlier days,  people queued up in front of the local grocery shop not only because there weren’t too many options, but because they shared a relationship with the grocer. The grocer knew every customer by name.

3. Ensure Quick Service

In this fast paced world, customers have become impatient. They expect speedier service. So to keep the orders flowing, you must strive to deliver fast. For instance, JustDial receives over a thousand calls every day. The reason is it passes on the information required by the callers within seconds. This makes it the most preferred directory service in the country.

4. Build a Social Media Presence

In this world of Facebookers and Twitterati,  social media presence is no more optional for companies. It is as  important as having online presence. Customers find it convenient to interact, engage, and participate through these forums. Aparna Bhatnagar, owner of Green and Good Store, an online store, believes social media is one of the best ways of building customer loyalty. It helps her not just communicate but engage with her 7,500 odd prospective customers on her Facebook fan page.

5. Give personalized service

Allow your customers to connect to real people, not some disinterested recorded voice.  A  real person scores over technology any day. Your customers want to talk to a real person when they have a problem and not reach automated systems. They like to be heard and assured, so allow them to talk to real persons who can hear them out.

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6. Surprise your customer

Everybody loves surprises! So do your customers. Surprise them once in a while with a complimentary gift or a special service. This will make them come back to you again and bring along their friends too. For example,  some companies send out special gifts to their niche customers on their birthdays and anniversaries, a gesture that strengthens the bond between them.  Annu Grover of Nurturing Green says he plans to soon start sending out surprises to his elite clients on their special occasions.

7. Customize Your Product/Service To Their Choice

Taking interest in customers can go a long way in building customer loyalty. Understanding their need, their likings, disliking can help make a better product/ service.- Kishi Arora of Foodaholics, a cake shop, talks to her customers at length to understand their preferences which helps her stir up new recipes every time. She likes to build a close relationship with her customers. Every time she delivers a cake to a customer, she makes it a point to send a personal note to them congratulating on the occasion.

Source: www.dare.co.in