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Waltmorey
Pinellas Park, Florida, United States
I founded Core Business Solutions with the goal of helping business owners improve operating results, add value, and recapture the energy and passion that was present when the business was new. We also have the expertise to assist start-up companies create the foundational structure needed to provide the best opportunity for the business to grow and prosper in uncertain economic times. Our goal is to help the business entrepreneur/owner, through mentoring and coaching, develop or enhance managerial skills while providing that independent and objective advice and expertise usually provided by a board of directors.
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Sunday, November 25, 2012

Customer Loyalty Ideas

As the Holiday Shopping Season has begun I thought it would be a good time to share some thoughts about Customer Loyalty. We all know that keeping one customer is so less expensive than acquiring a new customer. So here are some ideas to help you retain your current customers.


1.     Product Awareness. Know what your steady patrons purchase and keep these items in stock. Add other products and/or services that accompany or compliment the products that your regular customers buy regularly. And make sure that your staff understands everything they can about your products.

2.     Reliability. If you say a purchase will arrive on Wednesday, deliver it on Wednesday. Be reliable.  In fact I'd also suggest you  'under promise and over deliver' by actually delivering your customer's purchase on Tuesday. If something goes wrong, let customers know immediately and compensate them for their inconvenience.

3.     Be Flexible. Try to solve customer problems or complaints to the best of your ability. Excuses — such as "That's our policy" — will lose more customers then setting the store on fire.

4.     People over Technology. The harder it is for a customer to speak to a human being when he or she has a problem, the less likely it is that you will see that customer again.

5.     Know Their Names. Remember the theme song to the television show Cheers? [ Everybody Knows Your Name]   Get to know the names of regular customers or at least recognize their faces.
  1. Communicate. Whether it is an email newsletter, monthly flier, a reminder card for a tune up, or a holiday greeting card, reach out to your steady customers and do it often.
  2. Customer Service. Go the extra distance and meet customer needs. Train the staff to do the same. Customers remember being treated well. It's about customer satisfaction, that's what brings people back to you.
  3. Employee Loyalty. Loyalty works from the top down. If you are loyal to your employees, they will feel positively about their jobs and pass that loyalty along to your customers.
  4. Employee Training. Train employees in the manner that you want them to interact with customers. Empower employees to make decisions that benefit the customer.
  5. Customer Incentives. Give customers a reason to return to your business. For instance, because children outgrow shoes quickly, the owner of a children’s shoe store might offer a card that makes the tenth pair of shoes half price. Or install a customer loyalty or "VIP" program that rewards your customers or clients for repeat business. Likewise, a dentist may give a free cleaning to anyone who has seen him regularly for five years.
I recommend you review this list regularly to keep your business on track towards increasing your customers loyalty to your service or product.
In the next few weeks or so I'll post another article to help you work 'on' your business!
"Remember, to get your business to the top, you must get off your bottom."
Here's Wishing You A Happy and Prosperous Holiday Season.

Walt Morey,

Core Business Solutions

8712 40th Way North, Pinellas Park, Florida 33782

Tel: 727-647-8242

waltmorey@iib.ws
http://www.corebizsolution.com

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