Usman Ghani (August 15, 2016)
Customer loyalty is more than just having repeat customers, it involves building a deep emotional connection with them so that they keep coming back to you. The relationship with your clients depends primarily on how you make them feel during a service experience. They are likely to develop affinity with a brand that caters to their emotional needs. So what are the emotions that are vital for building customer loyalty? Adding a personal touch to your service is one of the ways to make your clients feel special and give them the gesture that you truly care for their needs and expectations. Sharing information with your clients and showing them that you are constantly innovating the experience for them is likely to earn you brand advocates. Offering clients convenience and a consistent service experience would not only help you achieve customer service excellence but is likely to make them stick to your brand. Here are a few emotions that are essential for earning customer loyalty!
People like to be associated with a group or community, so one of the emotions that you should focus on for winning over clients is creating a sense of belongingness for them. Approach your clients in a personalized way and treat them as friends or family. Make yourself easily accessible and give a gesture that they are an integral part of your business. Celebrate important events like “Product launches” and “brand anniversary” with your clients, implement their suggestions for personalizing your service and always put their needs ahead of everything else.
It is human nature to expect reward. Your clients after investing their time and money expect you to deliver value to them. Make sure that you pay attention to little things that count for an amazing experience and make them feel that they have chosen the right brand.
For instance, if a new customer walks into your store and spends time checking out products and then makes a purchase, he/she would expect “value” for time and money spent; make the journey memorable for that client by finding the right product based on his/her preference, give friendly suggestions, offer a loyalty card after the purchase and follow up to gauge the satisfaction level.
Everyone likes to be appreciated. In order to build a lasting relationship with your clients, express your gratitude. Always thank them for choosing your products/services and encourage them to buy from you again. Send handwritten “Thank You” cards and notes to your clients or send personalized emails appreciating them. Give them a gesture that you are delighted to have them on board and want them to stay with your brand. You can feature your regular clients on your website, newsletter and social media pages to show that you are grateful to them. The feeling of being appreciated would make your clients loyal to your business.
For building loyalty, credibility is essential. You should never make promises to your clients that you can’t possibly fulfill. If there is a service issue, proactively reach out to your clients and inform them before it turns into a negative experience for them. Make sure that the shipping duration and price details that you mention on your website are not different from the real shipping time and pricing. Never lie to your clients, if you make a mistake admit it, offer a sincere apology with a logical explanation of the issue and try to fix things in minimal time. Build trust with your clients to make them brand loyal.
Pleasant surprises are always overwhelming. If you want your clients to keep coming back to you, surprise them more often. Send them thoughtful gifts on special occasions, give them gift cards or dine out coupons with every purchase and go the extra mile for them when they are least expecting it. Keep on adding innovative products/services so that your customers feel inclined to buy from you again and again. The “surprise element” would also differentiate you from other brands and give your clients a reason to stay loyal to your business.
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