Creatures of Habit
When we think about customer retention, we often think about adding on.
Where can we get one more sale?
When can we send more emails?
Why don’t we see them on the site one more time this week?
I understand where this mindset comes from … and how you, the team, the organization may be held directly accountable for those incremental increases within those targeted KPIs. This is natural. This is business.
But what’s in it for the customers? Will more be better??
Or rather, will more result in more?
Before we innovate, anticipate and address the next need of the customer, let’s first unpack why the customer needs us in the first place. (And ultimately blow their minds with how amazing we can do something that may seem monotonous or boring in the day-to-day but ultimately brings a smile (#futureloyalist) to their face.)
When I was a kid, every summer, my brother and I would visit the doctor for our annual wellness checkup. And after every visit, what did we get? Well, now it’s stickers but back then, we received a cookie. This happened like clockwork. We walked up to the counter, let them know we were headed out and then they brought out the *jar*. I can hear the angels now. And yes, our pediatrician was A+. Routine made this success go round. And if anything occurred out of the ordinary, like if one of us was sick, or we needed another reminder for sport physicals, the intervention occurred, like clockwork. I’ll say it again: routine made this success go round.
This May Be Habit Forming
We are creatures of habit. In fact, some psychologists argue to focus on habits rather than resolutions in the new year. Why? Because habits are a fundamental part of who we are and could be the secret to personal success.?
We may create habits without noticing or perhaps we set forth with intention to pave the way for a better habit. Or, we engage in habit stacking, where the focus is to layer another habit with an existing action. Therefore, if we continue to engage in something existing, perhaps the “add on” will come easier vs creating a new habit altogether.
One example of habit stacking in my life goes like this: I wake up every morning at 5:30 AM. I started stacking this habit about a year ago when I realized I needed an official “start” to my morning. When I wake up and head downstairs, I grab my cup of coffee and glass of water. I sit in my living room and do a crossword. This is a weekday routine I rarely break that includes stacked habits. And I enjoy it. I miss it when something falls out of place.
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Opportunity for Customer Stacking
In a previous eMarketer report, the data showed customers are likely to switch brands because of things like better deals, product quality, customer service and so on. The change was less about something within the customer’s existing routine but rather how the brand showed up in their routine.
I’ll say it again:
The change in brand loyalty was less about the customer’s change in personal routine and more about how the brand showed up in the customer’s routine.
Until we, as brands, understand the expectations and needs our customers have and how to flow into their existing routines, an extra email or an extra communication touchpoint may not matter. Rather, let's take the moment to digest where we currently meet the customer and deliver the routine flawlessly.
Ask yourself: are you trying to meet the customer where they are or are you operating from your own calendar?
Let’s Try It Out
Let’s say we, as a brand, feel confident to start habit building and habit stacking. And one of those habits, let’s say, is sending a little comic relief on Sunday for an identified cohort of customers that loves a good meme from your brand. Delivered through SMS, this brand-builder message drives extra traffic and social proof. How would you leverage this for stacking?
But this example may seem like a heavy lift. The stacked habits can be smaller. In other words, stacking can also encourage customers to tap on “Yes, Round Up My Order” in your ecommerce order. Or, to review the email confirmation at the end of a transaction. In the end, testing a new scenario for your customers comes first.
To wrap up this edition, here's a reminder that our customers look to the brand to fit into their lifestyle and budget. How are we working together, with our customers, to make sure we continue to fit, stay relevant and be part of their everyday habits? And, do we, as brands, have the power to evolve those habits with them? With testing, listening and partnership, retention is possible.