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Write You - Loyalty Programs May Keep Customers Coming Back - But First You've Got to Earn their Trust
Your mission, legal assistants, should you decide to accept it, is to handle many of your boss’ phone calls. A good legal assistant continually strives to free up the attorney’s time for court appearances, meetings, and more in-depth legal research. After all, this is how an attorney earns his fees. But in order to have fees that can be earned, new work must materialize. The majority of new work for attorneys comes in the form of phone calls. Handle these phone calls wisely.The ability to filter through types of phone calls and handle as much of the phone work as possible, with finesse, is an excellent skill to develop. A paralegal must be familiar with her boss’ schedule, his caseload, his clients, and his particular style in order to filter the phone calls well. She must als
Accurate Billing: We all know mistakes happen. But when you make a billing error or you overcharge, you immediately lose credibility. Add to that the time is takes for a customer to contact you to complain or get you to adjust the bill, and you may well have lost a future sale – and the potential sales of friends and family they’ve complained to.
Hassle-free refunds: We’ve all been there. For some reason we change our minds about a product, or it doesn’
Have you ever had an incredible idea only to have it shot down by friends or family? Just because someone is a family member or a friend is no guarantee they will support you in reaching your dreams or goals. If they are not motivated or goal oriented themselves, they may not want you to be more successful than they are. Some people are far more interested in holding you back than pushing forward and being left to eat your dust.They may ask questions like, "Why would you want to do that? That's a dumb idea and besides, what makes you think it'll even work? Boy, think how stupid you'll look if you fail." Suddenly you begin to doubt yourself and then the fear of failure begins to creep up and consume you.Think of this same situation except this time you share your idea with peop
These stamps were one of the first loyalty programs. They kept customers loyal to a particular product or merchant because they offered an incentive that encouraged the customer to keep coming back – and spend more money.
While trading stamps are a thing of the past, a wide range of industries still use loyalty programs to establish long-term relationships with their customers. By far the most successful and well known is the frequent flyer program.
On the surface, frequent flyer programs appear to be all about rewarding customers with free flights just because they choose to fly with a particular airline – the more miles you fly the more free miles you get. But, if you asked the airlines who really benefits from these programs, chances are you’d hear a resounding, “We do.” Ask them to explain, and they’ll likely tell you that frequent flyer programs allow them to collect data on individual customers, help them tailor their mailings and special offers to the customer’s specific needs, allow them to promote higher fares, and ultimately increase their sales.
But, as popular as frequent flyer programs have become they only work if the service offered by the airline is good enough to earn the customer’s trust. And that means not only offering a quality flying experience but great customer service and on-going communication.
For smaller businesses, the benefits of establishing a loyalty program are no different to those enjoyed by the major airlines. And equally, the program’s success depends on first establishing the three most important elements of building that loyalty:
1. Treat your customer’s right, and they’ll be yours for life.
Your customers will not only judge your company by the quality of your product, but also by the level of service you offer. Offer one without the other and you may as well give up now.
Great customer service includes, among other things:
Credibility: Your customers should be able to trust you. No one wants to be on the alert for the small print or hidden charges. They want to know that your company can be trusted and has their best interests at heart.
Flexibility: Never use the words, “I’m sorry but it’s not our policy.” Always solve your customer’s problems, even if it means losing the sale. There’s nothing worse for a customer than a company that will not go out of their way to accommodate their needs.
On-time Deliveries: If you’ve ever ordered a product and been told that the delivery time is 6-8 weeks, you’ll understand the frustration a customer experiences. Unless the product is out of stock, or is an international delivery, there’s no earthly reason why a product should take 6-8 weeks to deliver. Similarly, if you promise a certain delivery time, you must abide by it. If you say the product will be shipped within 72 hours, then ship it within 72 hours. If for some reason you find you can’t meet the delivery time, notify the customer and give them the option to cancel their order.
Accurate Billing: We all know mistakes happen. But when you make a billing error or you overcharge, you immediately lose credibility. Add to that the time is takes for a customer to contact you to complain or get you to adjust the bill, and you may well have lost a future sale – and the potential sales of friends and family they’ve complained to.
Hassle-free refunds: We’ve all been there. For some reason we change our minds about a product, or it doesn’
Choose carefullyYou will want to choose people who know you, and often you are asked for both work and personal referees. It's a good idea not to choose relatives, they don't carry much authority. Ideally choose people who are professionals with a good reputation. Former employers carry the most weight, also key suppliers and customers who can vouch for the work you do. Referees are sometimes telephoned and if they can clearly give examples of your achievements it is worth gold!Get their permissionAsk general permission from them before you start your job hunt. You don't need to contact them each time, but you may want to remind them you are still looking if the job search drags on, or you are slow to start. By asking permission, yo
But, as popular as frequent flyer programs have become they only work if the service offered by the airline is good enough to earn the customer’s trust. And that means not only offering a quality flying experience but great customer service and on-going communication.
For smaller businesses, the benefits of establishing a loyalty program are no different to those enjoyed by the major airlines. And equally, the program’s success depends on first establishing the three most important elements of building that loyalty:
1. Treat your customer’s right, and they’ll be yours for life.
Your customers will not only judge your company by the quality of your product, but also by the level of service you offer. Offer one without the other and you may as well give up now.
Great customer service includes, among other things:
Credibility: Your customers should be able to trust you. No one wants to be on the alert for the small print or hidden charges. They want to know that your company can be trusted and has their best interests at heart.
Flexibility: Never use the words, “I’m sorry but it’s not our policy.” Always solve your customer’s problems, even if it means losing the sale. There’s nothing worse for a customer than a company that will not go out of their way to accommodate their needs.
On-time Deliveries: If you’ve ever ordered a product and been told that the delivery time is 6-8 weeks, you’ll understand the frustration a customer experiences. Unless the product is out of stock, or is an international delivery, there’s no earthly reason why a product should take 6-8 weeks to deliver. Similarly, if you promise a certain delivery time, you must abide by it. If you say the product will be shipped within 72 hours, then ship it within 72 hours. If for some reason you find you can’t meet the delivery time, notify the customer and give them the option to cancel their order.
Accurate Billing: We all know mistakes happen. But when you make a billing error or you overcharge, you immediately lose credibility. Add to that the time is takes for a customer to contact you to complain or get you to adjust the bill, and you may well have lost a future sale – and the potential sales of friends and family they’ve complained to.
Hassle-free refunds: We’ve all been there. For some reason we change our minds about a product, or it doesn’
The Internet is the most powerful employment tool on earth. Hands down.With the Web, you can access millions of job openings on thousands of sites. With email, you can quickly contact employers and ask for interviews.Yet, if used incorrectly, the Internet can actually prevent you from being as productive as possible in your search for work.How? Why?Here are four mistakes that commonly befall job seekers using the Internet. Avoid them, and get hired faster.1) Don't Email Your Resume WrongI've written before (http://www.startribune.com/stories/1416/4371900.html) on how to create a text version of your resume for emailing to employers. Because not everybody has Word or WordPerfect, the only way to be sure employers can read your resume is to email them
For smaller businesses, the benefits of establishing a loyalty program are no different to those enjoyed by the major airlines. And equally, the program’s success depends on first establishing the three most important elements of building that loyalty:
1. Treat your customer’s right, and they’ll be yours for life.
Your customers will not only judge your company by the quality of your product, but also by the level of service you offer. Offer one without the other and you may as well give up now.
Great customer service includes, among other things:
Credibility: Your customers should be able to trust you. No one wants to be on the alert for the small print or hidden charges. They want to know that your company can be trusted and has their best interests at heart.
Flexibility: Never use the words, “I’m sorry but it’s not our policy.” Always solve your customer’s problems, even if it means losing the sale. There’s nothing worse for a customer than a company that will not go out of their way to accommodate their needs.
On-time Deliveries: If you’ve ever ordered a product and been told that the delivery time is 6-8 weeks, you’ll understand the frustration a customer experiences. Unless the product is out of stock, or is an international delivery, there’s no earthly reason why a product should take 6-8 weeks to deliver. Similarly, if you promise a certain delivery time, you must abide by it. If you say the product will be shipped within 72 hours, then ship it within 72 hours. If for some reason you find you can’t meet the delivery time, notify the customer and give them the option to cancel their order.
Accurate Billing: We all know mistakes happen. But when you make a billing error or you overcharge, you immediately lose credibility. Add to that the time is takes for a customer to contact you to complain or get you to adjust the bill, and you may well have lost a future sale – and the potential sales of friends and family they’ve complained to.
Hassle-free refunds: We’ve all been there. For some reason we change our minds about a product, or it doesn’
In today’s job market, you have many options when it comes to applying for a job; you can apply in person, via postal mail, fax, e-mail, or through an online job database site, just to name a few.So, which one do you choose when you have all of those options? They each have their pros and cons, but more people are choosing to search and apply through career websites, such as Monster and Career Builder.Job seekers are attracted to these sites because they make the process of finding a job a much easier and positive experience. Applying online offers applicants numerous resources to organize their job hunt.Applicants can be assured that their resumes are actually getting to the employer when they apply online via a career website. Email and spam filters are so common thes
Flexibility: Never use the words, “I’m sorry but it’s not our policy.” Always solve your customer’s problems, even if it means losing the sale. There’s nothing worse for a customer than a company that will not go out of their way to accommodate their needs.
On-time Deliveries: If you’ve ever ordered a product and been told that the delivery time is 6-8 weeks, you’ll understand the frustration a customer experiences. Unless the product is out of stock, or is an international delivery, there’s no earthly reason why a product should take 6-8 weeks to deliver. Similarly, if you promise a certain delivery time, you must abide by it. If you say the product will be shipped within 72 hours, then ship it within 72 hours. If for some reason you find you can’t meet the delivery time, notify the customer and give them the option to cancel their order.
Accurate Billing: We all know mistakes happen. But when you make a billing error or you overcharge, you immediately lose credibility. Add to that the time is takes for a customer to contact you to complain or get you to adjust the bill, and you may well have lost a future sale – and the potential sales of friends and family they’ve complained to.
Hassle-free refunds: We’ve all been there. For some reason we change our minds about a product, or it doesn’
The first concern of business is the bottom line. Progressive employers have begun to see that their bottom line is increasingly linked to the visual health of their workers. Color Vision Deficiency, no less than eyestrain suffered by significant numbers of the workforce who sit for long periods at a computer screen, can impact negatively on productivity and the bottom line.Responsible employers should be aware that a number of their staff will have a color vision deficiency. Depending on the nature of their business, they will need to consider carefully whether visual testing of employees is worthwhile:whether more sophisticated visual testing should be instituted if any changes have been made to the working environment.whether, in addition to pr
Accurate Billing: We all know mistakes happen. But when you make a billing error or you overcharge, you immediately lose credibility. Add to that the time is takes for a customer to contact you to complain or get you to adjust the bill, and you may well have lost a future sale – and the potential sales of friends and family they’ve complained to.
Hassle-free refunds: We’ve all been there. For some reason we change our minds about a product, or it doesn’t work properly, or it’s not quite what we expected. And we want our money back. Make sure your customers know this is an easy process, up front.
2. Obtain Customer Information
If you want your loyalty program to succeed you must obtain background information from your customers. A program that only requires a name, address, and proofs of purchase isn’t building a long-term knowledgeable relationship with them. And it makes sense that a customer who will take the time to complete an enrollment form is going to be more interested in the product than a casual purchaser. When designing your enrollment form make sure you get information on product usage, purchasing habits, attitudes etc. That way you can tailor your products and services to your customer’s specific needs. And build a database of customers who actually want a long-term relationship with your company.
Keep Communicating
One of the easiest ways to keep customers loyal is to establish on going communication. This can be in the form of emails promoting special offers, letters announcing new products, electronic or print newsletters or even offering educational materials. Another good way of continuing communication is to send them something useful with your company name on it. These simple, inexpensive gifts keep your name in front of a customer, and help to keep them loyal.
Need some help thinking up a loyalty program for your business? Here are some suggestions.
- Gift certificates: Offer your customers a gift certificate when they spend a certain amount of money. For example, if they buy $200 worth of goods during a six-month period offer them a $25 gift certificate.
- Offer point programs: Give your customers points for every $10 or so they spend. When they’ve acquired a certain amount of points they can exchange them for selected goods or services.
- Free Shipping: This incentive is a sure-fire winner for mail order and online companies. Offer free shipping on orders over a certain amount or on future orders.
- Communications: Newsletters, pamphlets, direct mailings, postcards, magazines, white papers etc. All these can be used to increase customer loyalty. They don’t need to include a special offer or discount, but it will help.
Properly implemented loyalty programs are a long-term marketing strategy that takes a lot of work and commitment. But, getting new customers takes a lot of work too. So, it makes sense to do everything you can to make sure that every one of those customers keeps coming back time and time again, and recommends you to others.
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