| Are you trying your best to retain your | | | | products/services which also can be useful to |
| customers? Customer loyalty is such a tough job | | | | them. |
| especially for a small business. Why? Because you | | | | Also, you can try offers your existing customer |
| don’t have a famous big name to create | | | | with post out/ email catalogue. |
| brand loyalty! So, let’s see what you can do. | | | | After Sales service |
| Initially, it’s wise to try to understand your | | | | Contact your customers after they have |
| customer behaviour before offering them | | | | purchased your product or used your service. |
| anything. Otherwise, the effort of keeping them | | | | This can be done in a post-out survey form, |
| loyal can be a waste. You will need to analyse | | | | follow-up call or simply an email survey form. |
| your customers’ buying behaviours and | | | | Build up relationships with your existing customers |
| understand why they buy from you. Of course, | | | | A Greetings card is another way of entice your |
| they might be made up of different market | | | | existing customer coming back to you. Perhaps, |
| segments. If you don’t know what your | | | | you can send your customer a greetings card on |
| market segments are, you can create a | | | | their birthday, Christmas or New Year? This is to |
| questionnaire/survey. From the answers, try to | | | | remind them of the existence of your company |
| identify and analyse the different segments. | | | | and that you still remember them. In return, they |
| Customer satisfaction | | | | will value you and your company. It’s also a |
| Be loyal to your own employees and they will be | | | | way to keep in touch and strengthen the |
| loyal to your customers. | | | | relationship with your clients. |
| Make your employees realise that customers are | | | | Use “You” as the customer perspective |
| the reason they get paid every week. Perhaps, | | | | rather than “we” |
| your business can pay the employees basic salary | | | | If there are newsletters or articles provided by |
| and extra commission for every single thing that | | | | your company, make sure you mention |
| they sell to customers? | | | | “you” as the customer perspective. Your |
| Provide your employees with training, | | | | customers want to know what they can do or |
| development and other customer service | | | | get from your business when they come to you. |
| resources and they’ll be qualified to provide | | | | They’re not interested in what your |
| exceptional professional customer service. | | | | companies or employees can do in general. |
| Trust | | | | Extra Customer Loyalty Programs: |
| As a small business, it’s very difficult to | | | | Your business needs to target the right market |
| create loyalty program if your business itself is | | | | segments in providing customer loyalty programs. |
| not ethical. Customers need to trust you and | | | | For example, it’s useless to reward your |
| your business before any loyalty programs really | | | | customers with baby products if they are not |
| work! | | | | recent parents. |
| Customer complain | | | | Membership program |
| Many view customers complaint’s as negative | | | | - Special deals such as discounts, free deliveries or |
| signs for a business. If you can make good use of | | | | buy 1 get 1 free. |
| your customers complains, it can be an actual | | | | Rewards program |
| advantage to your business. Find out why your | | | | - Provide free / discounted gifts according to the |
| customer is not satisfied with your product or | | | | amount of points your customer collects. |
| service, compensate them and make | | | | Create Community |
| improvement changes to your products/services | | | | - As a sponsorship : let the local people know that |
| immediately. | | | | your business is part of their community |
| Focus on your current customer | | | | - Sponsor local activities or campaigns. |
| Let your customers know what kind of services | | | | If you own an online business, it doesn’t |
| products you can offer them. Often, many | | | | mean that you can’t build customer loyalty |
| existing customers may use only one product | | | | programs. |
| service of yours, without realising you have other | | | | |