NFIB

Creating Customer Loyalty
07/ 14/ 2003

by Vicki Gerson

Because customers are the driving source of your small business's success, you can never work hard enough to improve customer relations. Maintaining contact with customers and constantly striving to meet their needs can translate into repeat visits, new business and increased revenue.

The following low-cost tips can help your small business promote and maintain lasting customer relationships:

Follow-up Phone Calls

If you own a furniture or appliance store, follow-up phone calls can be useful to find out if the delivery and merchandise met the customer's expectations. They also show that you do not lose touch with your customers after the sale has been made. If something has failed to meet the customer's expectations, it makes a difference when the dissatisfied customer receives a phone call from the store before the customer has to call to complain.

Mailing List

Keep customers informed of upcoming events by establishing a mailing list and regularly sending out low-cost postcards to customers. Postcard-worthy events include special sales, arrivals of new merchandise and in-store demonstrations, to name a few.

Become a Resource

Home improvement stores bring in experts to provide do-it-yourself demonstrations, and bookstores invite authors to speak about their books. No matter what your line of business, your company can also become a resource center for your customers. For example, a recent free lecture at a small aromatherapy store taught audience members the benefits of massage therapy and aromatherapy for stress management. Lectures like these can attract new customers and new sales, as it is easy for people to peruse your products and services before and after the event. Oftentimes you can use in-house experts or entice outside experts to do workshops and lectures for free by offering them an audience and an outlet to make new business.

Use Testimonials

While word-of-mouth praise is one of the best ways to gain more customers, you cannot count on customers relaying their wonderful experiences to their friends, family and coworkers. A more effective approach would be to feature customer testimonials in marketing or advertising materials and on the company Web site. Ask some of your regular customers why they do business with you, and let them know you plan to use their answers in your marketing materials.

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