How Loyal Are Your Customers?

I have been a fan of Southwest Airlines for many years. They have been my go-to airline for the past ten years, and I have never had an issue with them.

I am such a loyal customer I even have their credit card. They always have great prices, and they have a significant hub in the city I live. I would usually book a flight with them even if it cost a little more than another provider.

A few weeks back, I had to take a flight to a city not serviced by Southwest, and I had to book with a competitor. At first, I had a weird feeling about the flight. I have no status on this new airline, so I figured I would be treated poorly.

I got to the gate and was pleasantly surprised. The agent was polite, and I even received an upgrade. The flight went off without a hitch, and it made me question my loyalty to Southwest.

There is a lesson to be learned here.

With that one experience with a different provider, it made me question breaking the ties I have had with Southwest for so many years. If it made me question the "loyalty," really how strong was it to begin with?

Was it loyalty, or was it just that I have always used them and assumed there was nothing better? I had such great experiences with them, and it was easy, so I never questioned moving away.

Now ask yourself this, how many of your customers feel this way? Are you the de facto vendor because they have just never looked elsewhere?

If they were to meet one of your competitors at a trade show or receive a call from them, do you think they could be swayed to move away from you?

What are you doing daily to make sure your customers stay your customer?

Walt Disney said it best, “Do what you do so well that they will want to see it again and bring their friends.” 

Here are a few tips to consider when thinking about how to keep your customers loyal.

Put your customer service policy in writing.

These principles should come from you, but every customer should know what your level of commit to them is. Even if it is a simple as sending it in an email, let the customer know your level of commitment to them.

Be genuinely committed to providing more customer service excellence than anyone else in your industry. 

This commitment must be so powerful that every one of your customers can sense it.

When was the last time you contacted a customer, not to sell them something new, but to check in and see how their business is doing?

"I do not know, but I will find out."

This is one of the most important phrases you can say to a customer. This shows you are committed to finding out how to fix the issues they are having.

Speed is secondary to quality.

When it comes to customer service that keeps people coming back, research shows that quality matters more than speed.

According to a study by the Gallup Group, customers were nine times more likely to be engaged with a brand when they evaluated the service as “courteous, willing, and helpful,” versus the “speedy” evaluation, which only made customers six times more likely to be engaged.

Provide a human touch

Technology is killing many businesses. Aggravating computers control customer service, asking too many questions, and live humans (if ever reached) merely repeat those questions.

Underpromise and overdeliver

Too often, aggressive salespeople promise the world for short-term commissions, leaving their companies unable to deliver on the promises. When working with clients, remember Murphy’s Law: Anything that can go wrong will go wrong! Customers do not care about anything other than you following through on what was agreed upon promptly. 

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Questions:

How loyal do you think your customers are to you and your company?

Do you only call your customers when you want them to buy something?

Do you know what your customer service policy is, or do you have one?