How to improve customer retention

While large companies seem to struggle with customer retention, small organisations like local office supplies dealers have a huge advantage when it comes to customer retention. A smaller customer base allows small companies build closer and more meaningful relationships with their customers which gives them the opportunity to take customer service from the purely commercial into something more personal. This is the space to occupy in order to champion customer retention.

Build relationships and appreciate your customers

Do you remember the days of going into a corner shop and having the owner know your name and regular order? That feeling is what small office supplies dealers should be relaying to all their customers.

Try to build a relationship with your regular clients. Pay attention to their needs and anticipate them. Be ready with special offers or loyalty bonuses, so they have a tangible expression of their importance to the firm.

Learn to be motivated by what is good for them. Be friendly when you greet them – a smile and a nod – and when they leave, say thank you and wish them well.

Send personalised follow-up emails, or letters, letting them know you are available to answer questions and reassuring them that your company is committed to their satisfaction. Offering help before it is needed sends a powerful message.

Combine friendliness with high-quality service, and you will create a better chance to have satisfied and repeat customers.

Have multiple channels with consistent service across all of them

Office supplies dealers should be reaching their customers using a multi-channel approach; a fully transnational website, e-mail campaign that is followed up with a phone call, a visit with some promotional materials and a presence on social media. But what is not expressed enough is the need for all these channels to work in concert.

I recently read about one MD who held an informal Q&A session on an Internet messageboard, inviting questions about his company’s products. He was being proactive and reaching out to potential purchasers.

But when a customer later emailed the firm querying a point raised in the session, the CSR replying did not know what he was talking about. Why? She had not been briefed about the MD’s Q&A. This lack of internal communication reflected badly on the company.

The more channels you operate, the more rigorous you must be to ensure they are all working together. Retention is also about reassurance. Do not give your customers any reason to doubt your company’s professionalism.

Own up to mistakes and treat all complaints fairly

Your service should be consistently excellent, but it must always be at least consistent. Be honest about what you can do for a customer and realistic in what you can achieve for them. But always remember that customer loyalty is earned when things go wrong.

It is when someone complains that their true opinion of your company will be forged.

If they feel that you made a genuine mistake and you are trying to rectify it quickly and fairly – translation: putting their needs first – they will trust you more. Think of their predicament and do everything you can to resolve the matter to their satisfaction. What may seem inconsequential to you might be very important to them.

A prime example of this comes from 1980s America, where a bank cashier would not reimburse a shabbily-dressed customer for a 50c parking charge. While paying for parking was normally the bank’s policy, even its manager refused when the matter was escalated.
The excuse given? The man came in simply to deposit a cheque; this was not seen as warranting the 50c.

A week later the customer ended his 30-year relationship with the bank, closed his $1 million account and signed up with a competitor down the road.

Treat your customers as you would want to be treated and they will stay with you for many years. But never take them for granted and always be vigilant about their needs.

At Office Power we help our dealer partners look after their customers. The Dealer Portal allows our dealers to keep track of individual customer needs and have the right conversations with them at the right time, while our customer support team helps them deal with daily customer queries. Our average dealer customer satisfaction score is 93%. To find out how you can increase your customer satisfaction level with Office Power why not drop Chris an e-mail at chris.armstrong@officepower.net and find out?