How loyal are your customers? You might be surprised to learn that they may be less faithful than you think. In a study of 10 major industries, nearly three-quarters (72%) of respondents indicated they were “delighted” with the products or services they purchased, yet 88% said they were willing to switch providers for any reason!
That doesn’t seem to make sense. How can happy customers be so fickle? Why would they switch brands if they are satisfied with the product or service they are receiving? The answer is a lack of relationship. Because so many companies offer products and pricing similar to one another, it’s their relationship with your brand that keeps them sticking around. If you don’t invest in that relationship, you risk losing them.
Make Customers Feel Valued
To maintain customer loyalty, you must make people feel valued, not just by offering them great stuff but by how you treat them. Give them a great customer experience. According to Zendesk, 60% of consumers have purchased something from one brand over another simply based on the service they expect to receive.
All things being equal, customers will go where they feel most valued and appreciated. So keep that consistent, high-quality drip of customer communications coming. Do so, even when you’re not trying to get them to purchase something.
• Set up a series of “nurturing” mailers throughout the year. Tell customers you are grateful for their business at regular, pre-planned intervals.
• Use your collected data to grow your relationship with these customers. Offer valuable tips, newsletters, and case studies that remind clients of your commitment to service, value, quality, innovation, and loyalty.
• If you cross-sell or upsell, make those suggestions valuable and relevant to your customers based on your collected information, such as their past purchases or expiring subscriptions.
• Ask for their feedback. People love it when you ask their opinions. Communicate through tangible actions that you care about what they have to say and are willing to act on it, too.
Direct mail is an excellent tool for customer retention. Having that tangible, colorful mailer in their hands makes people feel valued. When customers feel valued, they tend to stick around.
