A challenge for most businesses is knowing how to retain customers. It’s well known that bringing in new customers is much more costly than maintaining the ones that you already have, so Dave wanted to make sure he kept his customers coming back rather than letting them disappear after the first sale. Dave spent hours trying to brainstorm and plan ways to engage with his customers, but kept coming up empty. Dave decided to call All Things Scene, where he received helpful, tailored advice that was exactly what he needed. All Things Scene gave Dave several tips on how to retain his customers; Firstly they told Dave that he had to be reliable if he wanted his customers to be loyal to his business. Reliability is formed by creating a consistent product or service. Customers all want to receive the same product or service that a business promises to deliver. All Things Scene used the example of McDonalds to emphasize how reliability can be achieved. McDonalds have standardized all their products, so if you went into any of their restaurants around the World, you would always get the same Big Mac and fries. Dave was assured that reliability results in repeat business, because if he assures his customers that they will receive the same top-quality product or service every time they do business with him, then Dave will see an increase in their loyalty towards him. Dave understood exactly what All Things Scene meant, but this wasn’t the only advice they had for him.
Dave was informed that he would also need to make his products or services credible. Credibility is enhanced when you do exactly what you say you’re going to do – every time you do it. All Things Scene let Dave know that he shouldn’t try to hide anything from his customers. Customers understand that a business is there to make profit; it’s a bad idea to try and imply that you are only there for fun. Dave needs to provide clear value and remind his customers of this value. If they are already a customer, then being more credible will surely increase their loyalty towards him. All Things Scene went on to tell Dave that he will have to be responsive to his customer’s needs. He would have to share his customer’s sense of urgency. Provide them with easy access to information they will require, such as delivery schedules, tracking of shipments, or anything that Dave would need to supply. Dave could integrate this into his website if possible as people are coming to expect such access online. Otherwise he could end up with some nasty comments on his answering machine! Dave would need to have an aggressive customer recovery strategy. He has to be sure that all employees recognize the value of each customer and to teach them to recover potentially lost customers, even if the short-term cost may seem high. Showing his customers that they’re to his business is important to Dave in order to really increase how loyal they are to him. Lastly Dave was told to look for things that give customers difficulty and to solve them. Work to reduce customer paperwork (especially repetitious forms). Continuously simplify processes for the customer. Consider delivery alternatives. Ask for feedback about what is helpful or nonproductive. Listen to what the customer needs. The information Dave received from All Things Scene helped him to simplify his plan, and ensure he was making his customer’s come first which would help towards retaining their loyalty. All Things Scene had worked with Dave to understand exactly what he wanted for his business and were able to supply professional solutions without offering services that were unnecessary. Dave knew that this wasn’t the only thing All Things Scene could help him with, and knew he would always be able to rely on them for help if he needed it.