As you no doubt know, it’s increasingly competitive and costly to attract customers. It’s also a challenge to hang onto to customers while adding more for your business growth.
Typically, consumers react favorably to marketing after receiving five positive messages. Conversely, they will cease buying from your company if they have five or fewer unfavorable experiences.
Such customers start buying from your competitors 70 percent of the time if they feel taken for granted.
Most unhappy customers won’t give you feedback.
They’ll simply shop elsewhere.
Worse, many will launch a complaint campaign — they’ll go out of their way to complain about your company on social media and to their friends and relatives indefinitely.
Therefore, exemplary performance and delivery become paramount.
A very informative blog, “5 Businesses That Leave You With No Excuses”, on Website Magazine highlighted five companies that are excelling in providing a positive customer experience.
Not only did writer Ilan Nass list the companies, the post included the companies’ logos — a PR dream come true.
The article might also serve as an inspiration for you.
Here are excerpts:
Olive Garden
Olive Garden is now partnering with MyGym to provide free babysitting while their customers enjoy a child-free date night. This offer requires that you make a reservation and provide proof that you ate at Olive Garden (like a receipt) when you pick up your child after dinner.
LA Fitness
By offering on the spot babysitting during the majority of the gym’s open hours, LA Fitness removes the excuse of not working out because of lack of childcare. Childcare services are always free and will keep your child busy, happy and entertained.
Walgreens.com
The story is all too familiar. Customers can upload pictures from a camera or smartphone and store all the images in online photo albums. These albums can be shared via email or social media and customers can also order a variety of products containing those pictures. Not only does Walgreens.com offer several sales on prints and photo products, they also have free offers occasionally.
VistaPrint
VistaPrint offers a variety of printed products for your business: business cards, banners, t-shirts, magnets and more. Not only does VistaPrint offer easy-to-use software with templates and pre-made designs, but they also provide exceptionally low prices and high-quality goods.
Groupon
Groupon partners with various companies throughout the United States to offer great deals for the purpose of bringing in more business and making their name more widely known…The offers are organized by city and present deals of up to 95 percent off! Whether it be a custom framing special or discounted month membership at that barre studio down the street, Groupon makes sure you’re in the know. How do you keep your customers updated?
Not to be disagreeable, my only caution with the enjoyable post is with the Groupon mention. Groupon hurts restaurant owners in two ways.
Heavily discounted deals means customers will tip your employees less, which means you’ll lose valuable food servers. Such daily deal sites cost you in profits. Nor will such customers be loyal, repeat patrons.
From the Coach’s Corner, for better customer loyalty and revenue, here are valuable tips:
Strategies for Maximum Customer Loyalty, Profits — Customer retention is important for profits in good times and bad. Here are customer-retention tips, and social-networking tips from a B2B sales pro.
Energize Your Customer-Loyalty Program with 6 Steps — The quickest way for established businesses to optimize revenue is to have a stellar customer-loyalty program — there are six steps you can take for repeat sales and referrals. If you’re not a great steward of your current book of business, it’s futile to look for new customers.
“Make a customer, not a sale.”
-Katherine Barchetti
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