15 Customer Retention Techniques
You’ve worked hard to promote your business. You’ve hired staff. You’ve run marketing campaigns. Customers are coming in to partake of your products and services. The problem you’re facing, however, is that they don’t seem to stay. Today, we’re sharing with you 15 techniques that will improve your customer retention.
- Employees, a walking billboard. A sound customer retention plan incorporates and incentivizes employees to be passionate when delivering customer service. These days it seems like finding a job you live is like winning the lottery. Satisfied employees with speak well of your organization to anyone who’ll listen.
- Retain employees. Retain customers. Any organization experiencing revolving door syndrome (a high turnover rate in employment) is likely to also have a high turnover rate in customers. Constant personnel changes are a sign of instability. A loyal customer will want to know that your business will be open the next time they need you service.
- Just say “Thank You”. A customer loyalty program is a great way to encourage repeat sales. Design a customer reward program that is feasible, easy to understand, and ends with the customer being rewarded with something that would be hard to resist.
- Partner with your Customers. Customers enjoy feeling like part of the process. Solicit ideas and feedback from your customer base. Invite top-level customers to company functions. Encourage their suggestions and truly listen to what they say.
- Simplify your checkout processes. If you’ve noticed a high level of abandoned carts in your online store, consider reconsidering your payment methods. Remove unnecessary hurdles such as requiring customers to enter both shipping and billing addresses, type in Captcha codes, or remember passwords. Smooth out your check out process and customers won’t hesitate to shop again.
- Dollar signs will follow customers. Treat your customers with respect. If your customer feels heard and cared for, they’re more likely to purchase from you. A hard sell is no match for a nurtured relationship.
- Problem Solve. Quickly. The faster your team can resolve a customer issue, the more likely you will be forgiven. Acknowledge when your customer’s expectations have not been met and find an appropriate way to resolve it.
- Parlez-vous français? It is essential that your business speak the same language as your customers. If you understand them and communicate with them in a way they appreciate they will continue to be your customers for a long time to come.
- Grow with your customers. When appropriate offer products and services that reflect your customers’ growth. What’s the next product they will need? What’s the next service offer once the current offer expires? Anticipate your customer’s future needs as you satisfy the current ones.
- Capitalize on difficult situations. Difficult situations, when handled well, can bring about a greater sense of trust. Successfully steering customers through a rough patch creates a sense of reliability and endearment. The next time your customer faces trouble they will not hesitate to call on you for help.
- Listen more. The era of telling customers what they want is over. Businesses at the forefront of industry have maintained their standing by listening to their customers’ needs, wants, and desired then providing a product or service that solved the problem. Give your customers what they are asking for.
- Improve. Improve. Continuing improvements aimed at keeping customers pleasantly surprised by your forward thinking. Be careful here not to enter into a state of constant change that renders your business undependable or chaotic.
- Organization is important. A great CRM tool that is well managed and often maintained is critical to customer retention. How many times have you come home to flyers or brochures intended for the previous occupant? Don’t let that happen to your business. Keep accurate and updated records of your customer contact information.
- Put it in writing. For B2B companies, it might be worth the time in researching to develop a customer service contract which dictates what the customer can expect from your support team and what you would like from the customer. Establishing base procedures in writing holds both parties to the commitment they may when the relationship first started.
- Overdeliver. Exceeding customer expectations is one great way to improve customer retention rates. Surprise your customers with lower rates than your competition, shorter turnaround times, do more than they expect and more that you agree to, when you can.
For more tips on improving your company’s customer retention rates, check out this comprehensive article: http://www.ngdata.com/how-to-improve-customer-retention/
Contact At Your Service Consulting today to review your customer service practices and determine how we can assist you in improving to the next level.
Originally posted 2016-07-23 14:12:43. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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