Treat Your Best Customers That Way
by Charles Hacskaylo | Chief Creative Officer
The morning latte is part of my start-of-day ritual. At the place I go, the employees see me five days a week. Many of the employees there know me by name. Often, the barista will see me in line, call out to me, and get my drink started ahead of time. By the time the cashier rings me up, my drink is ready and I’m on my way. I feel great: I’ve been recognized, rewarded, and I’ve also got a damn good latte as well.
That special treatment, and the commensurate feeling afterwards, are incredibly important in keeping me loyal. Loyal not only to the latte provider (part of a chain) but to that particular store as well. I will go out of my way to go back, even with a closer store, because I like the people that work there (and know most of them by name), and because they seem to like and reward me. Our relationship has created a connection that’s valuable to both of us.
This is a very simple lesson that is often lost in the online world. Retailers and service providers often don’t have the technology to recognize, and reward, their customers on an individualistic basis. More importantly, they often don’t have a way of knowing who their best customers are – so everyone gets the same communications and treatment.
One of the key principles driving the product we’ve created here at Loyalty Lab is the recognition of the importance of connecting at a deeper level with your best customers. Knowing who they are, and what they’ve been doing with you allows you to have an unprecedented relationship with them. Address them by name, send them targeted, personalized emails and offers, and track their earning progress. Create special sales just for them, or give them free shipping, knowing that the ROI will be worth it for you. They’ll be amazed that you are paying attention to what they’ve done, and to what they want. You in turn will be rewarded greatly by them.
