Exploring Customer Retention

Retention is tough enough with your employees, but it can be even tougher with your customers. Luring them in the door with special offers and ridiculously low prices might bring them in the first time, but continuing that trend can take a chunk out of your bottom line profits. Exploring customer retention means finding ways of convincing your customers that your business is worth returning to and any good experience they had will have to be repeated.

The catch phrase in the business world is say what you are going to do and then do what you say plays a crucial role in retaining customer loyalty. It goes further for more people than prices. Reduced prices on products and services might bring a few people in from your competitors, but if they left their old source based on price, they will leave you if they can find the same thing cheaper somewhere else. Considering that pricing and quality of many products are going to be very similar for the different outlets, bringing customers back will require offering one thing better then everyone else…service.

To better understand the concept, you have to know what customer service really is and it can mean different things to different people. To some customers, good customer service means they can enter your establishment, get what they want and get out in as little time as possible. Others want a grand selection of common items while for others, having the business owner treat them like a king or Queen is more important than the quality of the products and low prices. They are willing to pay extra for the personal service. Then there are those who do not want to be bothered while they look around.

The key to good customer service is being able to recognize the type of customer you are dealing with every time one walks through the door. If you are busy trying to help someone who does not want your help for instance, the customer that wants you to fawn over them may feel neglected and head somewhere else to have their ego stroked. Of course, if you have two of these personalities in your business at the same time, you are in trouble.

Let’s say you do not offer services to the public, you will still have customers or clients for whom you perform different functions and if you promise something will be done at a certain time, make sure that you can deliver else the likelihood is high that you will lose the customer or client. You will need to be careful when accepting projects to make sure you can meet their deadlines as having to go back and tell them you are going to be late, may cause the project to be the last one you ever do for them.

Hitting deadlines are not only good for business but also necessary, but if you finish a project early it is nothing to be ashamed of. Go ahead and send it in when you get done and the client may actually appreciate having their project completed ahead of schedule.

About the Author:
-----------------------------------------------------------------
To find the best home based business ideas and
opportunities so you can work at home visit:
http://www.eBooks-Health.com
----------------------------------------------------------------