There’s one great, predictable way to keep customers loyal, and this is it:
Deliver a positive customer experience.
About 70% of customers say that a positive experience would make them loyal to a company and likely to recommend the company to others, a NewVoiceMedia study found.
Delivering one isn’t be too hard, either, considering customers cited having a “positive” experience with businesses they work with. Still, they didn’t cite having “exceptional,” “beyond my expectations” or “extraordinary” experiences.
But the bottom line is: Customers want their expectations met, and they’ll remain loyal for it.
Everyday tactics to try
To boost loyalty, your customer experience professionals can use these phrases, which create fast satisfaction:
- “Tell me what I can do for you today.” It’s more intimate than, “How can I help you?” and suggests you aren’t just anticipating what they want. Instead, you’re inviting them to tell you.
- “I take full responsibility.” If you (or the organization) made a mistake, it’s expected. But if you didn’t make the mistake, it’s still important to say it in the context that you’ll take full responsibility for the desired solution.
- “I will keep you updated.” In this case, the action is more important than the words. Let customers know the intervals at which you’ll update them — and then do it. For instance, “I’ll contact you by 4 p.m. every day until the repair is finished.”
- “Let me find out for you.” It’s the ideal thing to say when you don’t know the answer to their queries immediately. You’re setting a realistic expectation for a reliable response.
- “I have a solution for that.” It gives immediate reassurance that customers have reached someone who can and will help.
- “Contact me directly at … when you need something.” Nothing builds loyalty like the feeling of a personal, inside track to help.
- “I appreciate your business.” Merely thanking customers for contacting you and ordering or reporting a problem doesn’t convey how important customers are to the organizations. Remind them that you want them to remain loyal.
