Businesses often focus their attention on bringing in new clients, which makes sense. New customers mean more money which generally makes people happy. What is often overlooked is making sure that they keep a strong relationship with their current customers. You need to keep ALL of your customers happy.
Keeping your current customers engaged should be a focus heading into 2024. Customers will come and go, most times not even telling you that they are leaving... or why. You spent a lot of time and effort landing them and onboarding them, so it makes sense to put the same amount of time and effort into ensuring they stay.
Here are 5 simple tips that may get overlooked that will help to keep your current customers, a customer for life:
- Your product or service must perform how it’s expected - If the customer buys a product or service from you, and it doesn’t work up to expectations, then it is worthless to them. This will guarantee they don’t remain a customer and will probably tell their friends and colleagues, so they won’t become one either. Deliver on what you promise.
- Stay in touch – You should always continue to build your relationship, even after the sale. Send them special incentives, newsletters, or even a quick phone call…. just to let them know you are thinking of them and to see how things are going.
- Customers want consistency – You probably have a “go-to” restaurant that you bring family and friends to because you know what to expect, you like it, and it’s consistently good. The quickest way to erode trust is to provide an unpredictable experience. One day things are running smoothly and everyone is happy, the next day things aren’t and people are losing money because of it. Consistency in your business /product is huge.
- Keep your customers informed of what’s new – Continue to improve your product or service and keep your customers aware of any changes or new products you think may be of help to them. It also gives you a reason to reach out just to say hello again.
- Make sure getting in touch with you is easy – Have the right people answering phones and directing traffic, people with energy and enthusiasm. Make sure you are returning phone calls and answering all emails and texts promptly. You want your customers to know that they are very important to you. When you don’t respond to questions or concerns that they may have right away, that tells them maybe they should seek their answers elsewhere. You don’t want that to happen.
2024 is a chance for new beginnings, making new friends, and becoming re-acquainted with old ones. Make sure to reach out to your current customers to thank them for their business in 2023, and to see what they may need that they currently don’t have for 2024. They will appreciate the acknowledgment and your attentiveness.
FoxieEngage is a single platform that allows you to chat, respond to social media comments and questions, text, talk and communicate with your staff, customers, and vendors.... all on their terms and in the way in which they choose to communicate with you.
Be engaged with your customers...call me at 866-BE-ENGAGED (866-233-6424), text START to FOXIE (36943) or just shoot me an email at hjames@foxie.com.
Here at Foxie, we want you to know that we appreciate you and are looking forward to speaking and working with you in 2024!