You may recall a blog I wrote last month titled, “The Repeat Customer”. In this blog, I discussed the importance of turning to your existing customer base when looking for new business opportunities. In order to fully leverage the power of “the customer,” however, you first need to ensure that you have great rapport with each and every one of them and that they are fully satisfied with the work you’ve already done for them.
So how do you build customer loyalty? In Jack Mitchell’s best-selling book, Hug Your Customers, Mitchell writes, “Only extremely satisfied customers are genuinely loyal.” He recommends going above and beyond what you may think is “satisfactory” customer service such that you exceed the expectations of your customers. If you can do this, you’ll have a following of fans who will not only be eager to work with you again, but also be glad to give you a referral. Read Hug Your Customers and discover a wealth of customer-building strategies to keep your business running strong.
Here’s a summary from Amazon Books:
“The 200,000-copy staple, praised by Warren Buffett as “a gem... I wish everyone at Berkshire would follow [Jack Mitchell's] advice – we would own the world.”
"A master of customer service, Jack Mitchell, reveals his secrets for developing long-lasting business relationships and customer loyalty in Hug Your Customers.
"The only way to stay in business is with customers and Jack Mitchell knows how to attract them, and how to keep them. He has a deceptively simple but winning approach to customer service – that a relationship is at the heart of every transaction. Jack's business philosophy is based on "hugs" – personal touches that impress and satisfy the customer, such as:
- Remembering the name of your customers' dogs
- Calling a customer to make sure he/she is satisfied after a purchase.
- Having a “kids’ corner” with TV, books and treats in retail spaces.
- Introducing customers to business contacts.
- And so much more.
“This is a proven theory – hugging works! Mitchells/Richards/Marshs/Wilkes Bashford achieves among the highest margins in its industry, as well as amazing customer loyalty. Complete with anecdotes that exemplify outstanding customer service, Hug Your Customers shows how any business can adapt this hugging philosophy to attract great staff, lower marketing costs, and maintain higher gross margins and long-term revenues. At a time when customer service has become the difference between success and failure, Hug Your Customers shows how Jack's one-of-a-kind philosophy brings the results for which you are working!”
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