Don't forget Mothers Day!
In my last post about the importance of loyalty, I mentioned the misconception that many businesses have that rewards are the mechanism that drive loyalty. In reality, rewards are the end result. Rewarding loyal customers. But how does a business create loyal customers? As I thought about this, I remembered a story told at a Microsoft CRM event years ago. It illustrates the power and impact of customer service.
A gentleman was frantically calling florists at the last minute as he forgot Mothers Day. Something you DO NOT want to do! Florist after florist told him, sorry, too late! Finally, he found a florist that not only said yes, but the owner delivered the flowers herself. Of course, the guy was extremely grateful. You would think that was the end of it. But no. In subsequent years, the florist CALLED the guy with a friendly reminder, don't forget Mom. Stop by and we'll give you a special discount!
So what happened?
- The business owner did what it took to delight her customer.
- She had tools/information that enabled her to reach out and create a deeper connection with her customer.
- She used a reward to show her appreciation for repeat business.
- The florist earned a lifelong loyal customer.
In fact, if the florist decided to stop selling flowers and sold bicycles, she would still have a loyal customer willing to spread the word and support her.
The lesson here is that customer service is paramount to loyalty. Rewards are icing on the cake.
As a business owner, creating loyal customers is on you. But let S&H Green Stamps help you keep them by providing tools and information to identify and reward them.