how to increase customer loyalty?
RELATIONSHIPS build customer loyalty!
Not price
Not products
Not services offered
“If your employees do not know your customer’s name, it’s their responsibility to find out. Everyone wants to be greeted by name”
I was recently hired as a Secret Shopper to see how my boutique client’s team was doing. There were several things that needed to improve, but the main issue was the team’s lack of excitement and willingness to get to know the customer. The employees really just stayed behind the counter and didn’t seem excited at all to see a customer.
Too many businesses hire employees and instantly start training them on “what to do”; however, the very first thing every employee should learn is how to get to know each and every customer by name. They should be required to use their name upon greeting as well as during the visit. It’s a bonus if they can learn something personal about each customer. This builds customer loyalty regardless of what products your store offers, what the prices of the products are as well as what services are offered.
When I had my store, I knew my customers would pay a little more for my products because they liked to shop where they knew they were appreciated. My customers knew that as soon as they walked in, I knew them, my team knew them as well as what they were shopping for. If we didn’t know, we asked.
If your employees are not doing this, you need to train them NOW:
Ask the customer what their name is. It’s easy! “Hi, I’m Kristi, what’s your name? Nice to meet you Alex.” Always greet them in a sincere manner and use their name moving forward.
Ask the right questions to make shopping easy. Find out how they like to shop. Do they like to be left alone, do they want you to hold their hand or somewhere in between. Since everyone likes to be helped differently, ASK her/him “Do you prefer me to help you or would you rather let me know if you need help? I don’t want to crowd you.” This is so much better than saying, “Let me know if you need help.”
Don’t be annoying. Be engaging! Every employee thinks they are delivering good service. They’re not. Inspect what you expect and see how your team is really doing.
