You’ve come to realize that your best customers are your repeat customers. Those who are willing to keep coming back and will actually say good things about you and your business to their friends and acquaintances. You now truly understand that they won’t return or refer you to others unless you treat them right and they feel that their relationship with you and your business is good for them.
photo credit: {Guerrilla Futures | Jason Tester}
Well, here are ten things to put in place in 2011 that will make your customers want to be repeaters:
1. Offer something extra with your product or service such as a coupon or some little extra service.
2. Remember them at holiday time and send them a card or some other small token of appreciation.
3. Respond promptly to their phone calls and emails, even if you’re super busy.
4. Create special offers for your regular customers.
5. Offer them payment options such as term payments, layaway plans or store credit.
6. Track your regular customers’ product/service needs, busy periods and buying history?
7. Refer them to someone else if you are unable to help them with a particular problem or need.
8. Provide them with volume discounts, or do small jobs for free or at reduced prices.
9. Ask them regularly to evaluate the quality of your work, responsiveness and overall service.
10. Send them frequent news releases so that you stay uppermost in their minds.
If you put in place as many of these ten key tips as possible, they’ll be sure to keep coming back and to bring their friends along.