“The single most important thing you can do for your business is to get to work building true customer loyalty, one customer at a time.”
– Micah Solomon
When you get a chance, read Micah Solomon’s Article on customer loyalty. Micah dropped a customer service truth bomb on his readers that had us at SnapScapes standing up and cheering. We really do need to get back to our roots and do the hard work of actually serving customers and serving them well. No matter what product or service you offer, you have competition. Having loyal customers who see your business as the only one in your market space they will deal with is critical to you continued business growth and success.
What we are talking about isn’t a loyalty program. We are talking about having a personal one-on-one relationship with your customers that keeps them wanting to do business with you and only you. But how do you make that happen?
- Understand what your customer experiences. You don’t have to be profiled on Undercover Boss to learn what dealing with your company is like from the customer’s perspective. Put yourself in your customer’s place. Visit your Website, and look at it through their eyes. Call to place an order, and find out how customers are treated. Send an email, or use the online chat feature.
- Act quickly and be helpful when there is an issue. Nobody likes being put on hold, and nobody likes playing transfer ping pong. Empower employees to find solutions to problems, and train them to own the issue until it is resolved. If other departments or a supervisor need to be involved, then your employee should become the customer’s advocate coordinating with the others to find resolution. No customer should be transferred more than once, or told “There isn’t anything I can do. It’s just our policy.”
- Remember your customer’s preferences. If, for example, you know Ms. Jones prefers a certain style of clothing, let her know when you get in some new outfits she would like or make her aware when items similar to what she purchased before will be on sale. Remembering personal preferences will make the purchase experience worry-free, more satisfactory for the customer, and helps solidify the personal relationship you have.
One last thing… There was only one thing we didn’t agree with in Micha’s article and that was his advice to, “stop tinkering with technology.” SnapScapes is a tool especially created to help you build long lasting relationships with your customers, build trust, and create a whole lot of good, organic customer loyalty. But in his defense, maybe he hasn’t heard of us. 
Want more ideas of how SnapScapes can help you build and keep customer loyalty in your business? Contact us for more information.
SnapScapes is an image based customer support tool that allows retailers to share their knowledge and expertise in pictures.
