In these difficult times, how do you ensure that you have a steady base of loyal customers through customer loyalty?

How do you influence your customers so much that they always opt only for your products or services, and never move to the competition?

How do you keep a customer loyal for life – other than offer the lowest price so that they keep coming back to you for just that reason?

Follow these 7 simple and easy ways to build customer loyalty:

1. Once you have sold your product or service, urge the customer to call you if there are any questions or doubts he/she has. Go the extra mile and assure them that the product or service can be replaced if there is any dissatisfaction. Leave your contact details.
2. Ask your salesperson to call your customer back within a considerable period of usage of the product. Ask if the product is meeting their expectations. If not, are there any suggestions for improvement? This can be done through a Customer Satisfaction form (builds your database as well).
3. Keep in touch with your customers at acceptable intervals to give suggestions on better usage of the product, or informing them about a new product. this can be done through newsletters, flyers, emailers, etc
4. You must do whatever to make your customer happy. If the product is faulty, replace it or refund the amount. Never ignore your customer’s complaints. If they have a problem, straighten out the situation. Don’t give them a chance to speak about the bad experience to the others. Bad news travels faster than good news!
5. Give your customer a reason to come back to you. Build customer’s loyalty by offering them discount coupons, or promotional offers such as a “buy-one-get-one-free” scheme. Influence your customer by introducing incentives for the next purchase. Organize a lucky dip or even offer free service or replacement for your product (you can always factor a reasonable spend into the cost per product).
6. Entice your customer to introduce a friend. Offer gifts in return. Influence your customer with free stuff.
   
7. Be polite and warm, accommodate their needs – remember, the customer is king.

80% of your business comes from 20% of your customers.

It’s all about making your customers happy so they could talk about you to the other prospective buyers. Word-of-mouth will give more favorable results. Try to build a personal relationship (if possible) so that they become “Advocates for your brand/product”.

Do you do anything different, or special, to keep your customers loyal to your service?