by Michael Sansolo
With good reason, it is accepted wisdom that repeat customers are beyond value. As endlessly documented, the effort required to retain a customer is a fraction of the cost of attracting a new one.
So, to borrow from an old song, it pays to show them a little tenderness.
We had a great example of this at home recently and in a way that I believe turned my wife into a repeat customer.
Unlike me, my wife is blessed with beautiful hair, but that comes with a problem. Since the pandemic, she’s had trouble finding a hairdresser who satisfies her and it’s led to repeated trials at different salons.
That was until recently when on a recommendation, she went to a new salon and we got a lesson in customer satisfaction and retention.
To start, she liked the cut and style she received, which is really table stakes when it comes to her hair. But then customer service took things to a whole new level.
Upon finishing her appointment, her hairdresser gave her a few coupons for assorted spa services at the salon. In addition, she gave my wife a note, thanking her for coming in and making it clear that she would love to cut her hair again.
Two weeks later, the hairdresser actually contacted my wife to see if she was still happy with the cut and style. Now, obviously, my wife has a lifetime of haircuts behind her, but that question was something she’d never heard before.
And believe me, when it’s time for the next cut, I know where she’s going. Her loyalty has been won.
Obviously the relationship between a hairdresser and client is different than many other businesses. It’s very much one-on-one and the number of clients is limited, so the potential to make connections is much stronger than in many other places.
But the small effort it took from the start really does bear considering. How could the staffers in your store or business find small ways to connect with shoppers to stand out from the crowd and possibly raise the potential for on-going loyalty?
Could you, like the hair salon, give staffers special coupons to distribute to shoppers they meet throughout the day, so that they make small connections and numerous shoppers suddenly feel valued and special?
In specific departments – think catering, floral or pharmacy – could staffers be encouraged to use a few minutes each day to reach out to a few customers who possibly used a special service? We might find that a small effort goes a long way to building connection and loyalty. The cost could be a fraction of the benefit you’d receive if you turn a casual shopper into a repeat customer.
Just show a little tenderness or just some attention. It could pay off in newfound loyalty.
Michael Sansolo can be reached via email at [email protected].
His book, “THE BIG PICTURE: Essential Business Lessons From The Movies,” co-authored with Kevin Coupe, is available here.
And, his book “Business Rules!” is available from Amazon here.
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