Managing a relationship with customers is extremely important today or they may turn to your competition. Maintaining a good customer relationship doesn't, and shouldn't, mean that you almost have to give your products away to keep business. Rather, an effective customer relationship means respecting him or her. Customers who feel respected by being recognized by name and having any complaints handled fairly are likely to remain loyal.
Customer loyalty cards, such as memberships with discount prices, are a good start in building good relationships with consumers. These types of offers can show customers that the business does care about their concerns for reasonable pricing. Treating customers as members makes them feel welcome and like they belong to a business and are not just entering a store to purchase something. Friendly service with a genuine smile only adds to the great shopping experience.
Clerks with indifferent or negative attitudes can damage the customer relationship. Customer relationships must be built from pricing and offers through to the order processing and follow through. Follow through means that customer relationships don't end when consumers leave the store. Discount mailings may be sent or phone calls placed to ask if the service was satisfactory; these are ways of showing consumers that a business values their repeat business.
Any customer complaints should be handled promptly with a genuine, caring attitude. Sometimes, a simple "I apologize" can be all a customer needs to hear to remedy a situation. Most people are understanding when it comes to mistakes, but when employees try to deny the customer's bad experience occurred or defend the store without bothering to listen to the consumer, the problems usually only become worse. Being mindful of the customer relationship means working with him or her to retain the consumer loyalty.
Studies have shown that it costs companies much more to gain new customers than to retain old ones. Maintaining the customer relationship through courteous service and apologies when necessary can go a long way in keeping satisfied clients. The most successful businesses tend to see their company through the customers' eyes rather than their own. They understand that it's the customer's perception of the company rather than their own that counts in terms of business traffic.
Without a firm customer base, companies can't continue to thrive. Most businesses need to build a loyal client base as well as keep attracting new customers to stay in business. By creating a genuine relationship with customers rather than treating people as mere statistical numbers, a company can thrive on its strong values and commitment to consumers.
