Why You Can’t Buy Customer Loyalty

It’s likely that improving customer loyalty is a priority on most companies’ New Year’s resolutions list. After all, customer loyalty has proven to boost a company’s bottom line time and time again.

According to research from Bain and Company, the longer the relationship with an online retailer, the more customers spends. For example, the average repeat customer spent 67 percent more in months 31-36 of his or her shopping relationship than in months zero-to-six.

While customer loyalty is important, it’s not the easiest thing to accomplish.

You can implement all of the latest technology and even break the bank with marketing initiatives, but neither of these will gain you customer loyalty.

The key to establishing customer loyalty is offering superior customer care. Luckily for companies, great customer care doesn’t have to cost millions of dollars. Below are various ways in which you can build customer loyalty with greater customer care.

Invest in your employees: Your employees are on the front line, interacting directly with your customers and shaping their perception of your brand. Therefore, it’s important that your employees have all of the necessary tools and skills to deliver superior customer care. For example, consider implementing a new training program or sending agents to an educational seminar.

Surprise your customers: Give your customers a reason to talk about your company in a positive light. Don’t just provide average customer care; give them a delightfully positive experience that they will remember and share with others. After all, people don’t share average experiences with their friends.

Focus on the details: So many companies make the mistake of letting the small details fall through the cracks. Offering small gestures of kindness here and there can go a long way in establishing customer loyalty. For example, send personal email follow-ups to existing customers to thank them and see if they are enjoying past purchases.

Not even a winning Powerball ticket is enough to buy your customers’ loyalty. Rather, it’s kind gestures, excellent customer care and paying attention to the details that really keeps your customers coming back for more.

Steve Brubaker began his career at InfoCision in 1985. In his current role as Chief of Staff and as a member of the Executive Team, he is responsible for HR, internal and external communications, and manages the company’s legal and compliance departments. Brubaker is a member of a number of professional organizations, including the DMA, SOCAP, and PACE. He also donates his time to serve on several university boards, including the Executive Advisory Board for The Taylor Institute for Direct Marketing at The University of Akron and The University of Akron Foundation Board. He is a frequent speaker for national events and has also been honored with a number of awards and recognitions for his contributions to the call center industry.