Lea Pierce Wordsmith

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Periodically, I post an article from another writing that I find particularly helpful or thought-provoking or even inspirational. You never know -- so keep checking! Right now I'm featuring "7 Secrets of Customer Loyalty" by Phillis Sheerin Ross, taken from Target Marketing's ™ Tipline, October 2, 2000 edition. Subscribe free to the Tipline at www.targetonline.com . The odometer in my car tells me that it's a 17-mile drive from my house to my car dealership. The very same car dealership that, by the way, charges me nearly twice as much for maintenance as my local service stations. And although I have three service stations within a five-mile radius of my house, I continue to take my car to the dealership for both maintenance and repairs. I also continually by-pass both the house brands and sale specials to purchase the same brands of tuna fish and mayonnaise that I have been loyal to for over 30 years. In addition, I drive past three discount book stores on the way to my favorite book store that's a half-hour drive, each way, from my house. What is it that makes us so fiercely loyal to certain products, services and businesses? And can we utilize these same elements to attract loyal customers? Please allow me to share "seven secrets" of customer loyalty with you! 1. A superior product. While taste is, of course, strictly subjective, you obviously want to produce or provide a service where there's lots of agreement of obvious superiority. Put your heart and soul into building a superior product, and "the people will come." Be very clear as to the specific superiority of your product or business, and then publicize it aggressively. 2. On time, within budget. Want to keep your customers coming back? Well, keep your word. If you promise to produce a product, on such and such a date, at such and such a cost, then that needs to happen. 3. Fix it now, discuss it later. That's the motto of my son, Richard Ross, who works in the technology industry. Richard says, "There's nothing more frustrating than when a company makes a mistake, and the first action taken is to probe the cause. While you're doing this, the problem is still out there, and probably getting worse. Instead, find the quickest, most effective solution. It might not be the permanent fix, but at least you're practicing damage control. Then invite the customer to assist with the post- mortem." 4. Consistency and reliability. You do a great job the first time you produce the service. You do a not-so-good job the second time. The third time, you cancel an hour before you're supposed to show up. Do you recognize yourself in this description? If you do, you probably do not have a large customer base. Everyone these days has an incredibly busy schedule. To have loyal customers means to be a business person that your customers can rely on for consistency of product and adherence to the promised schedule. 5. Generosity of spirit. I referred earlier in this article to "my favorite book store." You can spend an entire afternoon browsing this store. Go there on a Sunday afternoon, and you'll encounter a well-behaved mob.

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