Graham McGregor says loyal customers can be turned into lifelong loyal customers by making their lives easier. Image: Thinkstock.
One of my favourite e-zines is written by serial entrepreneur and customer service expert Peter Shankman.
In a recent issue of his e-zine Peter shared some interesting ideas on how to create 'lifetime loyal' customers.
I liked what Peter had to say and thought I would share his thoughts with you.
Let me pass you over to Peter for his comments:
I don't have to tell you how important loyalty is to your business. Countless studies have done that already, with stats galore:
"It costs X less to keep a current customer than it does to gain a new one," or "a loyal customer is Y times more likely to be believed when they say how great you are as opposed to an advertisement."
Want truly loyal customers?
You need to know the difference between a loyal customer and a lifelong loyal customer.
A, A loyal customer likes you, but can still be tempted by another brand, and can still leave you at any time.
B, A lifelong loyal customer will stay with you through hell or high water, and nothing any other brand can do will ever tempt them away from you.
So - How do you convert A into B?
Considering how much effort you've spent to get your loyal customers, wouldn't you sleep a lot better at night knowing you've made them lifelong loyal customers?
The answer is simple: Turn a loyal customer into a lifelong loyal customer simply by doing things that make their lives easier.
When a customer is already loyal, they don't need to be impressed by the simple things - that's what got them there in the first place.
Instead, they're looking for you to help them simplify.
They want you to remove worry form their lives.
Here's the example that inspired this post, and was completely unexpected:
I've been loyal to Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) for over ten years. They're my hotel chain, and I make sure that every year I stay at least 25 stays or 50 nights to keep my platinum status.
For the past ten years, I've made sure that my hotel stays benefit my total nights so I'll maintain my platinum status, which gives me room upgrades, more points, and just a better loyalty experience.
I had no idea how long I've been platinum with SPG, all I know is that it's important to me that I plan accordingly so I continue to make the goals to stay platinum.
Sometimes, that involves having to stay at a hotel a distance away from my conference or speech, because I need to make sure I make my nights to keep my status.
So imagine my surprise when, with no prior warning, I get an email in my box informing me that I've achieved "Lifetime Platinum," something I didn't even know existed!
Essentially, Starwood has just told me that for the rest of my life, I'll always be at their top-level of elite status, and I never again have to worry about "making my numbers," or "counting my nights."
I don't have to tell you how huge this is for anyone who travels at all, let alone weekly.
This means that every single time I stay at a W, a Sheraton, a Westin, a Four Points, an Aloft, or a ton of other hotels in the SPG family, I'll automatically be upgraded to the best room or suite they have.
I'll automatically get three Starpoints per every dollar I spend. I'll automatically get free lounge access, club floor access, free Wi-Fi access, etc.
Starwood has just taken any worry out of every future hotel stay, for the rest of my life.
Do you have any idea what a relief that is?
No more counting nights!
Of course, with one very big caveat: I have to stay at a Starwood brand hotel to enjoy all of this.
Here's the thing, though - why the heck wouldn't I?
I've been loyal to them for ten years, and they're thanking me in the biggest way they know how, and taking a huge worry off my shoulders, forever!
Why would I ever want to stay anywhere else again?
The secret to turning a loyal customer into a loyal-for-life customer?
Do something that guarantees that they'll come back to you every single time, because going anywhere BUT you would cause them undue stress.
• Own a business-to-business corporation? Well, every salesperson is a human, as is every buyer.
The salesperson needs to be able to figure out what the buyer's pain point is, and eliminate that worry.
• Restaurant? The loyal customer shouldn't have to worry about getting a table during a busy time.
Loyal customers are great.
Implementing little hacks to guarantee them into loyal-for-life customers like Starwood has done for me this morning? Priceless.
If you make a sale, you can make a living. If you make an investment of time and good service in a customer, you can make a fortune.
Action Exercise:
What can you do this month to turn a number of your loyal customers into loyal customers for life?
If you need some ideas on how to do this I highly recommend Peters latest book: Zombie Loyalists: Using Great Service to Create Rabid Fans.
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