Welcome to North Shore Banks In Your Interest podcast. As a business owner, you know that keeping existing customers is critical to your long term success. They can be the source of a repeat business, additional business, and referrals. Quality products that perform as advertised are one element of a happy customer relationship.
Let's discover how going the extra mile for your customers pays off in the long run. Appreciating customers business. In all cases, your customers have selected your product instead of those of your competition. This conscious decision was probably based on the product and on your company. You should feel good about that choice and let the customer know of your appreciation.
It can be a simple but heartfelt thank you, or you can do something more. Delivering something extra, going beyond a price break, can demonstrate your appreciation. Try including a small gift or shipping something overnight without charging more, and see what their reaction is. Be sure the customer knows that you are taking this extra step.
Valuing the Relationship Most customers like to do business with existing vendors. It's easier, usually faster, and they know what to expect. They want the relationship to work. And they know it must be mutually beneficial. This is something more than appreciating the business. No one likes to feel that they are on the wrong end of a one way relationship.
A constant stream of sales pitches can create this one way feeling. Find ways to remind the customers of your presence without constantly bombarding them with sales pitches. You may want to consider some form of newsletter that combines information the customer can use along with information about your products or company.
Caring about customer issues. As much as you may want your customers to be concerned about your success, their primary interest is their own success. If you can provide areas or suggestions that can help them be more successful or do their job easier, it shows you care about them. Offering insight that your customers may benefit from can work wonders, and also positions your company as an expert in its field, making the customer feel special.
It can be difficult to differentiate among customers, yet many companies are able to do this well. Airlines provide special benefits for frequent flyers, some businesses offer select phone lines or areas of their website for specific customers, and other companies have exclusive checkout or service lines.
Interestingly, these benefits are more about service than they are about price. They provide a convenience or save the customer time. Respecting the customer. The term respect can be difficult to define. In summary, respecting the customer is really just treating them the way they would like to be treated.
Consider the relationships and experiences that you have with those selling you items or services. Identify what makes you feel good about doing business with those organizations. And you'll probably be well on your way to finding many opportunities to give your customers the respect they want and deserve.
Thank you for listening to this episode of North Shore Bank's In Your Interest Podcast. If you haven't already, please subscribe to the show in iTunes, Google Play Music, or your favorite podcast app. Visit NorthShoreBank. com for more information. Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender.