One of the easiest ways to increase your business’s profits is to increase your customer retention. Keeping the same people coming back to your business again and again for their needs is a lot cheaper than advertising and trying to bring in new customers. Retaining a good customer base can also bring in new business and help you predict the trends for your company. So, how do you retain the customers that you have? By making it personal for your customers through friendly customer service and listening to their needs.
Don’t Underestimate Customer Service
Customer retention is very dependent on customer service. This doesn’t just mean having a friendly face to interact with your customers, however, because many people will also look at the quality of products and services as well as things such as return policies in customer service.
Your customers want to be treated with respect and curtesy when interacting with your business, especially if something has gone differently than expected. Most of your customers will be more likely to come back after an accident or inconvenience if you break the bad news with a friendly attitude, some accommodation and a genuine “thank you” for their understanding.
Listen To Customers’ Suggestions
You can also increase your customer retention by taking suggestions from your customers and listening to them. This can include increasing your product line to better meet their needs. The more reasons your customers have to come to your business, the less likely they will be to go to other stores. You can add convenience features such as online ordering or appointment making to help with this as well.
A big part about listening to customers’ suggestions is to also listen to their complaints. If you are hearing a lot of customers having problems with something that you can fix easily, the cleanliness of your restrooms for example, then addressing those complaints will let your customers know that you are listening to them and that you care about what they have to say.
Customer retention can be a lot cheaper than attracting new customers, especially since loyal clients are more likely to provide favorable reviews and recommendations to their friends and family to visit your company. Some of the best ways to retain customers are to not underestimate customer service and to listen to your customers. A lot of time, the people who purchase your products and services can give you the best feedback for improvements. Once you act on that feedback, your clients will feel listened to and respected, inspiring them to return more often.