Loyalty. It’s a great concept — clients who appreciate you for what you do, and who wouldn’t think of hiring anyone else to do pumping or portable sanitation work for them. It’s kind of a quaint notion. But loyalty’s mostly dead.
Let’s check out that bold statement. Are you loyal? Think of the people who provide services for you; do you continue to patronize them without even thinking about it? Or do you “shop around?”
America — and much of the rest of the world — has evolved into a culture of shoppers. People are always looking for a better deal, a lower price or some miracle that will allow them to get acceptably good services for much less. They may not seek out other bidders, but when an amazing offer comes their way, it’s hard to ignore.
In a world where the best clients are often seeking competitive quotes, what can be done to grow a firm’s revenue base? Here are simple ways for you to increase customer loyalty and encourage repeat business:
1. Have a plan for sustaining relationships
If your clients aren’t hearing from you, they’re probably not thinking about you. But they are thinking about the people who called them today, offering a better deal for the services you currently provide.
Do you have a system for getting in touch with your regular customers on a regular basis? You should. A minimum of one contact per quarter is essential, more if there are legitimate reasons for you to call. If nothing else, send an article likely to be of interest to them and put a personal note on it saying that you’re thinking of them. Let them know you would be happy to discuss the subject of the article, their situation or overall progress with them sometime soon. Say you’ll call them next week to set up a time for that chat, if they feel it’s appropriate.
2. Share the story
When you have made a significant difference for a customer, create a case study — the story of a customer’s experience with you — written in narrative form. Maybe your portable sanitation service helped a special event to be successful. Or your timely handling of an emergency septic system repair saved a homeowner from having to install a new system. Explain to customers that you go out of your way to provide the best service as a matter of course. You keep the case studies, like client testimonials, for the benefit of others who might consider hiring you for a project, so they can understand the ways you’ve been able to help others generate revenue or save money. And when customers read a case study that involves their company, their special event or their onsite system, it will boost their egos and encourage them to maintain their loyalty to your business. If you don’t have the time to put together case studies, there are companies specializing in that type of research and reporting.
3. Earn the business
Set aside time every week to communicate with at least a few of your customers. Set up a schedule to ensure contacts are made regularly — and always act on requests you uncover, even if they veer from the usual services you provide. Maybe you can refer customers to someone you know who can help them with specific needs when you are unable. Could you locate some information for them? Can you help in any way at all? If so, then do it. Going out of your way to help a customer might cost you a little in the short term, but in the long term the extra effort you made will be noticed by the customer.
WORKING ON LOYALTY
It’s naive to expect clients — no matter how satisfied — to be loyal for the long haul to any supplier of services. No matter what you do, you can assume customers are forever alert to the possibility that they may be overspending. And beyond the issue of costs for services, there’s an appeal to anything that’s fresh and new.
But it’s clearly easier for your loyal customers to respond to the solicitation of new competition — someone who says he can do the same job and do it for less — when the relationship with you has been allowed to deteriorate. Another truism is that it’s easier to garner sales from an existing customer than it is to go out and find a new customer. But gaining that golden repeat business requires nurturing business relationships ... And remembering that loyalty is a two-way street.
