Customer loyalty requires these 3 things

June 21, 2014 at 12:00 AM
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Business is all about relationships. At a minimum, a customer hopes to do business with an organization she can count on. She pays good money for the goods and services we provide. So our goal should be to give our customers the feeling that they "know, like and trust" us?

Perhaps it would be helpful to look at this from the opposite perspective. Do you know, like and trust yourcustomers? You want them to know, like and trust you, so aren't they entitled to the same? You want them to be loyal to you, but do you behave in a way that lets them know you're loyal to them?

Imagine for a moment I am your customer. I want you to know me. I want you to know who I am when I walk through your door. I want you to recognize me. I want you to remember what I bought or ordered the last time I was here.

I want you to like me. Sure, you probably like that I give you my hard-earned dollars for whatever it is you sell, but I want to feel as if you genuinely appreciate me for the business I give you.

I want you to trust me. I'm not going to steal from you. Maybe one or two people you did business with in the past took advantage of you, but that doesn't mean I want you to make rules, policies and procedures that make it difficult for me to do business with you. I want those policies to reflect that fact that most customers—like me—are good, honest people.

When I go to my favorite restaurant, the owner knows me. He may even remember where I sat and what I ate the last time I was there. He takes an interest in me and it's obvious. With the use of CRM software, technology—or just good, old-fashioned mental recall—you can make your customers feel as if you know, like and trust them. If you can do that, you're well on your way to that all-important and coveted loyal relationship.

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Shep Hyken is a professional speaker and best-selling author. For more information on Shep's speaking presentations, call 314-692-2200, email [email protected] or go to www.hyken.com.

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