5 tips for keeping your customers loyal

You’ve got the inventory, you’ve got the décor and you’re sure you’ve got the hottest location in town and you’re just sure this business is going to be a hit.  It can be, providing you take some steps to get started on the right foot with your targeted clientele.

See, all the preparations with the building, marketing, signage or anything else for that matter, is basically meaningless unless you do one thing; make the customer happy.

1. Show you care

The very first step to take is really showing each customer that you care about them and their needs, such as cheap affordable housing. Nobody wants to walk into a store and be treated with indifference or get stuck with a sales clerk who seems more like you’re inconveniencing them for simply asking them to do their job. Greet and treat each customer warmly and with sincerity and you will go a long way with word of mouth business and repeats.

2. Good communication

From the moment they walk through the door, good communication with a customer helps provide a pleasant shopping atmosphere, improves customer service and expedites the sale. Good communication quickly clarifies the customer’s specific needs and avoids problems or returns, because you know exactly why the customer is there and exactly what they’re looking for.  A happy customer is one who feels that you really understand them and he doesn't need to bring in a lawyer.

3. Turn a negative into a positive

It is inevitable that at some point down the road, you will have an unhappy customer for some reason or another. But the source of the problem with this customer isn’t really the issue—it’s how you choose to handle it that will be remembered. Sites like Quiet Night Beds implement a review system on their products page to show they are open to customer feedback. Sometimes everybody drops the ball and when you or an employee fall short don’t walk away or deny it.  Take responsibility and work with the customer to resolve the issue peacefully.  It’s not the problem the customer will emphasize to friends or even really remember-- it is how well you handled it that really counts in the end.

4. Know the trends

You’ve got to keep on your toes to keep track of customer, business or market trends.  Keep ahead of the curve by following buying habits, customer requests and industry market.  If you follow the trends, you can adapt your business, attitude and merchandising to harmonize with them and you’ll avoid finding yourself in a situation you’re clueless about it.

5. Go beyond the call of duty

It never hurts to go beyond the basic service when taking care of a customer’s needs.  Now, this doesn’t mean you slop all over them, pandering for their business. It simply means that you completely know their needs and are will to offer additional suggestions that will help them.  Going beyond the call of duty is perhaps suggesting a service or store that can enhance their purchase, going out of your way to help the customer meet their needs or just taking those extra steps to show that person that you truly take their specific need seriously and are willing to go beyond the limit to help them.