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Keeping the Customer #1: Call Your Customer Every Day
Phyllis Sheerin Ross, a business and management consultant with over 20 years experience, writes about the importance of partnering in her article How to Keep Your Customer Forever. It can be as simple as consistently making a a simple phone call...every day:
"Call your customer every day. Call your customer every morning at the same time. Call to say hello. Call to check in. Ask how things are going. Ask if there's anything you can help him with today. Ask him what's new on his site. Share news from your site. Talk together. It's even okay to laugh together! Remember this is your partner. I made daily morning phone calls to customers on the West Coast, as well as to customers who worked around the corner. I found that the daily phone calls provided the perfect mechanism to head off any potential problems. When you speak to your customers every day, there are no unpleasant surprises awaiting you at the end of the work week."
Keeping the Customer #2: Share The Knowledge
Phyllis Sheerin Ross writes that part of the process of keeping your customer consists of simply sharing what you know:
"Share the knowledge. Once you've done your homework, and have found out what your customer needs in order to be successful, be on the lookout for articles of interest. Read the business section of the newspaper everyday with your customer in mind. Learn everything you can about your customers' business. Team with other vendors to do presentations for him. For example, in the technology industry, Year 2000 information is hot, hot, hot! There's lots of information on the Web regarding Year 2000. Dazzle your customer with your knowledge of his industry."
Keeping the Customer #3: Only Quality Stuff!
Phyllis Sheerin Ross writes about the importance of only doing the best for your customer:
"Do only quality stuff. Everything that you present to your customer needs to be first class. Your customer's first impression of your work starts with your business card and the message on your answering machine. Do these items represent the true quality of your work? I remember walking away from a strategic alliance because my future teaming partner proudly presented me with a document that had typos all over the front page! Your customer should never have to correct your work. As a partner to your customer you need to ensure that your work is always on time, and within budget. And make sure that it's perfect. Your customer will learn very quickly that his "partner" has the same high standards that he does."
Keeping the Customer #4: Give Something Away!
Phyllis Sheerin Ross writes that the practice of "giving before you get" never goes out of style:
"Give something away. One of the most successful business people I know hand delivers home-baked cookies, beautifully presented, to her customers every Christmas. I've given software to my customers, as well as performed small services that were not written into the contract. Small gestures can grow into significant add-on business! It's not unusual to have contracts extended for an additional five years (at higher rates!) when you consistently demonstrate your generosity to the customer. I promise that you will always receive far more than you give away. It's a time-proven business practice that never goes out of style."
"Value-Added" Conference Service
Ever think of attending conferences for your clients? We know one fellow who offers this as a "value-added"service to his customers. They hire him to attend the big trade conferences in their industries, paying his airfare, accommodations, conference fees and a "day rate" for his time. He audio tapes (if permitted) certain conference seminars, picks up literature and reports, and makes contacts on behalf of his clients. He also gets the chance to network for his own business.
"Care" Marketing
Kingstowne Auto Care in Alexandria, VA (703-719-7606) knows the best way to market their business. It's not just "caring" for the cars - it's really caring about the customers. They don't offer inspection services in-house, but if a customer's car is being repaired to pass the state's safety inspection requirements, Kingstowne has the car inspected for the customer (at no extra cost) so it's ready to roll when when the owner picks it up. Tire pressure, knobs that need adjusting, windows that need washing. Kingstowne Auto Care knows it's the small things that build customer loyalty. Have you "cared" about your customers lately?
Fix It Now - Discuss It Later
Business writer and consultant Phyllis Ross writes in her article 7 Secrets of Customer Loyalty about the importance of customer satisfaction in building customer loyalty:
"Fix it now, discuss it later. That's the motto of my son, Richard Ross who works in the technology industry. Richard says, 'There's nothing more frustrating than when a company makes a mistake, and the first action taken is to probe the cause. While you're doing this, the problem is still out there, and probably getting worse. Instead, find the quickest, most effective solution. It might not be the permanent fix, but at least you're practicing damage control. Then invite the customer to assist with the post-mortem.' "
Consistency and Reliability
Business writer and consultant Phyllis Ross (301-384-0769) writes in her article 7 Secrets of Customer Loyalty about the importance of consistency and reliability in building customer loyalty:
"Consistency and reliability. You do a great job the first time you produce the service. You do a not-so-great job the second time. The third time, you cancel an hour before you're supposed to show up. Do you recognize yourself in this description? If you do, you probably do not have a large customer base. Everyone these days has an incredibly busy schedule. To have loyal customers means to be a business person that your customers can rely on for consistency of product, and adherence to the promised schedule. For example, while cleaning establishments have come and gone in my neighborhood, I've continued to use the same cleaners for the last twenty years. I know, with total certainty, that my clothes will be ready, when promised, perfectly pressed, and with no missing buttons. Why bother checking out the competition when I receive such reliable service?"
Personal Marketing
Business writer and consultant Phyllis Ross writes in her article 7 Secrets of Customer Loyalty about the importance of personal contact in building customer loyalty:
"Get personal. Obviously you know your customers' names. Do you know anything else about them? Do you know when they have a blessed event in their family? Do you send a congratulatory card? Do you know when they're going through a rough time? Do you take a few minutes to make a phone call to see how they're doing? You have to genuinely care about people to take the extra time to get to know your customers. I am not referencing the "Merry Christmas from Your Local Pharmacy" card. This empty gesture really means nothing to me. But boy, do I love it when my financial advisor sends me a birthday card, with a single dollar bill inside, wishing me a prosperous birthday and year to follow! You may not want to send each of your customers a dollar, but do think about what you can do to get personal with each of them."
"The Royal Treatment" Pays Off Big Time
Business writer and consultant Phyllis Ross (301-384-0769) writes in her article 7 Secrets of Customer Loyalty about the importance of the "royal treatment" in building customer loyalty:
" Treat your customers like royalty. My car dealership is an organization that truly knows how to treat people like royalty! When you arrive, you're personally greeted by your service representative. An inquiry is made as to your need for lift to the Metro. If you choose to wait, you're offered a cup of hot coffee, a comfortable chair, and a choice of recent(!) magazines. Every fifteen minutes or so, a service rep comes out to update you as to the status of your car. No detail in the car is overlooked, and you're given complete documentation as to the specific repairs or maintenance performed on your car. To top it all off, the car is returned washed and cleaned inside. Within twenty-four hours, you're called by a representative to see if you are totally satisfied with the service. Now, any questions as to why I'm such a loyal customer of this dealership?
Go the Extra Mile
We've heard of an apartment complex that offers a free weekly car wash to all their tenants. Wonder why their apartments are never empty!
Courier Smarts
A Washington, D.C. courier company increased its business by offering a "$7.50 delivery same day" service to its customers. Delivery was guaranteed by 6 p.m. that night. All packages were delivered as the company's couriers were delivering other regular priced packages. For most companies who ordered the service, it was cheaper than ordering overnight local delivery from FedX or UPS.
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