Do you want to keep your customers?

That sounds like a silly question — of course you do! Retaining a customer is better than acquiring a new one. It costs less, you already invested in an existing relationship with them, and they are more likely to refer you to their friends than someone having their first experience with you and your organization.

However, sometimes you might feel it’s not worth the effort, depending on the customer, your attitude at that moment, or both. However, keeping current customers is one of the best things you can do for your business.

Do you have a customer retention strategy? Do your employees know what to do, how to do it, and who should be the go-to person when they want or need help with something that might upset their customers?

If not, this article will show you five ways to save your customers.

#1: Fix their problem

You know the saying “the customer is always right?” Well, it’s actually not true. Even if they are wrong (which does happen), they are still the customer! You must fix their problem as quickly and efficiently as possible to make them happy again. An excellent way to do this is to follow up with your customer via email or phone call shortly after any complaint is registered. Remember, not responding to a customer complaint online is the equivalent of ignoring what they say in person. Address and fix their problems!

#2: Offer an incentive for customer feedback

This is the part where you ask for comments and criticisms. If they are having an issue with your product or service, ask them to provide their contact information so that you can address it properly and perhaps send out a future discount as an incentive.

Offering incentives for feedback can go the extra mile in terms of customer retention. But this isn’t simply about coupons; conceive alternative ways to reward them for their insights. Recognize them for being vocal and recognize their efforts.

#3: Create reward programs that incentivize more purchases

Acknowledge customers with rewards when they purchase from you. Some organizations use a recognition program where points can be accumulated and then later redeemed for discounts, free items, or even gift cards.

Obviously, that isn’t appropriate in some industries – for example, professional services firms. However, the goal here is to inspire you to think about how you can reward your customers for making the choice to do business with you! No matter what your field of endeavor might be, there are creative ways in which you can reward customers ethically so you inspire them to acquire more of your products and services.

#4: Provide higher levels of support for better customers

Customers always appreciate special treatment — and oftentimes, they will purchase more of your products or services to attain it. Make it clear that your best customers have access to enhanced services — for example, 24-hour support lines, instant response to emails or texts, special lines to speed their purchases, and more.

#5: Educate your team to engage with customers and create relationships

You can’t expect your team to create relationships with customers if they don’t know how. Train employees on customer engagement and ask them what type of interaction or communication would feel meaningful to them.

In a multi-generational workforce, your new hires may not have as much experience in interpersonal relationships and communication as you. Or maybe they developed some bad habits in previous work situations.

Don’t let your employees continue to make rookie mistakes. It’s one thing if they don’t know how to communicate with customers, but it’s quite another when they treat them poorly or neglect their needs. Your business has a responsibility to deliver the Ultimate Customer Experience ® — and it isn’t possible to keep customers with a poorly trained workforce in today’s marketplace.

The term “Ultimate Customer Experience®” is a Federally Registered Trademark of our company. If you would like to ensure that your team delivers the highest level of distinction in dealing with your customers so you can retain and expand their business with you, let’s talk about how we can help you make that happen!