In fact, you probably have a few lying around in your drawers or in the back pockets of your jeans.

Customer loyalty cards are a great way to reward your loyal customers all the while creating a personal shopping experience in your store or business.

Customer loyalty cards come in a variety of different options depending on what works best for your store or your customers. So read on to find the customer loyalty program to best benefit your business.

• Customer Loyalty Punch Cards
These act as the buy 10, get the 11th free cards. They work by stamping or punching the card each time a purchase is made. They are best for stores where customers are constantly purchasing the same thing, such as coffees, movies, or sandwiches.

• Different Levels of Membership Cards
Think Gold, Silver and Platinum membership cards. The great thing about these cards is that you can charge your customers to become a member. Offer better benefits to the Platinum members such as larger discounts or buy three, get one free motives.

Membership cards on different levels are great for large superstores, furniture stores or any other high scale store.

• VIP Customer Cards
These are similar to different level of membership card expect they do not have different levels. Offer your Very Important Clients specials and savings.

For example, a VIP customer card could promote 20 per cent of shoes, 10 per cent of jeans and 15 per cent of shirts, if your business was a clothing store.

• Customer Loyalty Discount Cards
These work by giving a discount to anyone who has one. Loyalty discount cards or “customer appreciation cards” are nothing more than a business card where a 10-20 per cent discount is offered to customers who flash the card.

Show those loyal customers you really care about their service by automatically giving them the 10 per cent discount without making them flash their card. They will be hooked for life!

• Customer Loyalty Point System
These cards use the point systems. For every purchase, there is a certain amount of points allocated to it. Then, a certain amount of points will get you stuff for free.

This could be products or money towards purchases. For example, many stores suggest that every 10,000 points earned will give you $10 off your next purchase.

Customer loyalty cards are a great way to rope in your customers all the while making them feel special.

Customer loyalty cards ensure that your customer will choose to shop at your store instead of any other store. Often, even if your store is further away or a little pricier than your competition, a loyal customer carrying their customer service discount card will still opt to spend the extra time and money and buy from you.

So look into a customer service loyalty program to keep your customers coming back for more.

Many people believe that the best customer service is a fast reaction. The faster you react to the problem, the better it is for all involved- the customer, the business owner and the customer service representative. Although a fast reaction to a problem helps when it comes to a customer complaint, there is a more effective method of customer service.

It is called the proactive method.

While reactive customer service waits until something bad has happened and then works to soothe the customer, proactive customer service thinks ahead to build a good relation with the customer while planning for problems.

Then, if a problem does occur, the proactive approach to customer service will go much smoother than the reactive method.

Unlike the reactive method, the proactive method is threefold which takes into consideration communication, planning and reaction time.

• First of all, the proactive method works on the basis of good communication skills. Before you can even consider what ‘might’ happen, you need to step back and focus on building a good customer relationship foundation.

Make small talk, remember names and show your customer that you are interested in them as a person, not as a potential profit. Building a good rapport with your customer’s early on will ensure that, if there is a problem down the road, they will be less likely to have a huge blow out.

• Secondly, plan for the worst. This may sound silly but it is the best way to ensure that you will know what to do in all problematic situations.

Make a list of all things that could do wrong with possible solutions. That way, if something goes wrong, you will know exactly what to do to fix it. This is the proactive approach to problem solving and it can make or break your company.

• Finally, the proactive approach to customer service works on the basis of efficiency. If a problem comes through, you have the good customer service and the knowledge to find the solution fast.

So do it. Put finding the solution on your list of top priorities and get the job done as fast as possible. This will demonstrate to your customer that you care about their complaint and fixing their problem with utmost efficiency and care.

To learn more about the benefits and process of creating a proactive method to customer service, subscribe (at the right) or check our publication “Customer Service Profits” .

Although a fast reactive time is extremely important when it comes to good customer service, the proactive approach is a much better method of customer service.

Not only does the proactive approach take into consideration the fast reactive time but it also works by building a good rapport with the customer and planning ahead to ensure the problem is easily fixed.
The proactive approach to customer service will reduce any customer angst or stress and also make your job much easier.

Happy customers equal a happy business so plan for success with proactive customer service.

In the Philippines, a new creed of professionals are developing as they are providing one of the best customer services.

This is because numerous companies are sending their outsourcers to Philippines as there are benefits such as a move to be offered. Out here there is a strong etiquette which teaches these customer service officers how to handle the customer over the phone. It is the kind of culture that has developed in each Filipino.

They are ready to provide help to the customer until the problem is completely resolved and the issue has been put to rest. The real test comes when these customer service officers have to deal with irate and incorrigible customers. Patient is a virtue and these customer service officers have it imbibed in them.

The easiest solution would be shouting back at such customers but they don’t prefer it that way. The most important reason as to why this cannot be done is because of the legal hassle but they go ahead of all this and stay calm and resolve issues with utmost care.

Customer care is the first place where a company provides a helping hand to their customers by addressing all their quarries.

Though the world has a very negative approach but this new form of etiquette is welcomed and considered as an important development for moving forward.

It is wrong to think that the customer service officers are handicapped and cannot retaliate with restricted choice.

It is important to know that the various customer service officers are dedicated to their clients. Their commitments are shown in the manner in which they deal with the customers. They make their experience pleasant.

It is important for these officers to learn that only patience and courtesy might not be enough for impossible customers. For this they need to learn vital tips and additional techniques. This important because there are customers who insist that what they say is true even if it isn’t.

These customer service officers have to put up with demands that could be both ludicrous and crazy. These customer service officers have to be careful that they are both courteous as well they have o protect the interest of the company.

Sometimes we forget that etiquette on phone is a two way traffic! But unfortunately the burden of maintaining the decorum fall o the shoulder of the customer service officers. The Philippines are doing a good job in training their officers in such a way that they are able to deal with such situations.

Don’t think that customer service is a nightmare. If the proper kind of training is received, with the right kind of knowledge and skill, maintaining good customer relations will not be a tough call.

Success!

Fred Lotgering

LotCon Biz Solutions

http://www.lotcon.net

Everyone likes a little bit of concern and a show of interest, and this is why customer service should never appear to be disinterested in a clients likes, dislikes and even their personal details like profession and family. Always take care to listen to them and never presume to know their mind. And remember presuming and trying to provide solutions for their so-called problems is the worst mode of action in this field of work.

Inhospitality

When customer service is what you do, then the unforgettable code is “never let a customer feel uncomfortable.” This holds true in the case of the kind environment you handle business in and the people who handle the cases. This is especially crucial because different customers have different criteria for what they deem uncomfortable. So once again know your customers, their nature and status, and accordingly deal with them. Take them out, make them comfortable and then do business.

Rudeness

A mere courtesy statement is not what is required from customer services. Clients are more attuned to you and your attitude towards them than you are aware of. So possessing and holding forth a right, welcoming, easygoing body language is extremely necessary. In fact a nice confident greeting along with direct clear eye contact can go a long way in breaking the ice with clients and winning their trust.

Attitude

Just like your day is made up of ups and downs, so is your clients. A previous brawl or an unhappy incident could have soured your client’s mood just as it could have yours. So, remember to gauge the attitude of your customer and handle them accordingly. An optimistic and helpful attitude on your part will go a long way in making your client feel better and vice versa. So remember to always uphold a positive image in front of clients to help them feel better.

Ignorance

Not knowing what your customer wants is the worst fault of customer services. As mentioned earlier listen to your customer, their priorities and accordingly help satisfy them by giving them the best. If you act without knowing, not only will it cause customer dissatisfaction but also needless hassles on part of both your customer and you.

Inaccessibility

Answering machine like looped messages being replayed into a customer’s ears is probably the most annoying thing that your client can face. So the first job of any effective customer service is to be available when the client needs you. Aiding them is your job, not leaving them hanging…so make sure you give them right direction and help solve their dilemmas.

Invalidation

Get what you have promised done as soon as possible. Inability to keep your word is one of the greatest sins in the area of customer services. Not only will it take your client’s trust away from you and depress them, but it will also deter him or her to deal with you again. So you should always follow through with deeds, objects and quality of services and goods as you have promised to ensure good rapport in the future for their benefit and yours.

After all, your profits directly come from your customers.

And the best way to keep the profit rolling in is to keep your customers coming back for more.

To ensure that your customers are 100 per cent satisfied with every experience you need to figure out a way to make every experience a good one.

Unfortunately, not every customer service experience is perfect. Often there are complaints to take care of or problems with the product, service or system that are unavoidable. Many times customers can call screaming, frustrated or upset and many times customers feel unsatisfied with the state of things.

It is your job to fix these problems and offer an incentive to ensure that even these bad experiences are transformed into good ones.

Need some ideas?

Read on to explore some of the situations that have personally made me a loyal customer.

One of my favourite electronics store always greets their customers with a smile, a friendly attitude and a promise to give you the product at a discount.

The simple “it’s usually 50 dollars but I can give it to you at 45 for today only,” is a sure-fire way to make a sale and keep the customer satisfied.

I am sure that the customer service sales rep gives all his customers the same deals, but it makes me feel special and this keeps me coming back time after time.

Even bad situations can be made good again with the right customer service.
Have you ever ordered take out and the staff has messed up your order? Well I have. My favourite take away restaurant once confused my order with another person’s and gave me the corrected entire meal for FREE.

Although I had to wait an extra couple of minutes, the generosity was unexpected and 100 per cent appreciated. Now I go there at least once a week and they have yet to mess up again.

Similarly, even ugly situations can be taken care of effectively and efficiently with the right customer service approach.

How‘s this for an ugly situation: On a family vacation to Disneyland, we rented a four-door coupe to travel around California. However, when we arrived at the car rental shop, our four-door coupe was all sold out.

Flustered, upset and in a foreign state, the situation could have gone from bad to worse. However, the customer service representative upgraded us to a convertible for no extra charge and even threw in a free camera for the trouble.

Crisis averted and loyal customers convinced. It all comes down to good customer service, no matter what.

In each instance, the customer service sales rep went the extra mile for me and made my customer service experience a great one, even if the situations were less than ideal.

Running your business with customer service as your number one priority will ensure that your customers remain loyal, your company remains trusted and your business remains profitable.

6 Allow your visitors’ experience to be an enjoyable one at your web site. Provide easy navigation, good content, fast loading graphics, search options, etc. You could offer online games that are related to your web sites theme. You could offer prizes to the high scorers too.

7 Keep changing or adding freebies to your web site. If people see the same freebie in your ads they will say to themselves, “Been there, done that”. For example, you could introduce a new freebie every month. People will revisit every month to get the new freebie.

8 Add a directory to your web site. When visitors submit their web site, e-mail them confirming their link has been added and remind them to revisit. In your e-mail you could mention a product you are selling. You could also always send them an e-mail again to remind them to resubmit their listing when it expires (if the listings do).

9 Organize your marketing and advertising into a plan. Create a list of daily, weekly, monthly and all other future promotional plans. Try to follow your plan step-by-step every day. This will free up your time by being more systematic and organized. If the plan isn’t working, don’t be afraid to tweak it some.

10 Trade links only with web sites that you or your target audience would visit. They should offer their visitors valuable content or freebies. There is nothing wrong with filling your web site up with outside links if they’re are interesting and helpful to your target audience.

More to come soon…

This should be a suitable gift to the employees or customers printed with the business information. If you want to have a strong ground in this competitive world where there is always a cut throat competition select the right promotional item. This item should give you the right kind of impetus and it should be unique by itself.

If the selection of your promotional gift is perfect, I can bet that this will help you to develop a better customer relationship.

Make sure that there are different gift for number of different reasons. Organizations have it planned to gift their employees for special events and also as an incentive to hard work.

Companies use various promotional gifts for their staff. This is a common practice in appreciating the work of other individual performance professional. This definitely enhances customer relationship.

Strategically presenting a promotional gift to your business partner or your client would be very helpful. This gesture may be remembered and would be to your advantage so that the next time you contact either of them they would welcome you helpfully.

You should know the branding exercise if you wish to survive in this corporate world. It is an intelligent device of getting your company’s name in the forefront.

Gifting these promotional items can be handy as they would be great marketing tools for your company. The basic idea of promotional items is backed with the idea of providing something new with every single purchase.

Make sure that your promotional item goes with the theme of your business. It should also have the perceived value.

Promotional items are usually helping the infomercials. Infomercials are the ones you see on TV.

Most of the companies use the promotional items in a handy way. They do extensive research and they use these items to the capacity. By making the maximum use of these promotional gifts, the majority of the companies benefit.

In case you have been callous in doing your market research you could find that your promotional item has no parity with your main item. This could be disastrous and create a big hindrance for your company’s reputation. 

And the culprit is Email. 

Although email may be extremely convenient, inexpensive and effective, it is actually doing more harm than good. 

Read on to discover the top three ways that email is killing your business.

1. It’s unreliable: You never can tell if your email was sent through. Emails are constantly getting lost in cyber space. There are problems with connection, with servers and with your customer’s servers. 

Sometimes a customer will send an email and you will not get it for days. Furthermore, sometimes your reply will get lost. 

Either way, the customer will blame you and this miscommunication error will result in an unhappy customer and a lack of sales. 

2. It’s not personal: Emails are so standard these days that we forget how personal a real live conversation can be. When you receive an email, it is hard to determine the tone, emotion and feeling in the email. 

Customers are left wondering if your response is a generic email, an auto-response or an actual, personal attempt to solve the solution. This can be extremely frustrating for the customer.

3. It’s not in “real time”: Emails are quick; there is no denying this. However, they are still not in ‘real time’ meaning the response time can vary depending on when the reader receives the email and replies to it. This can be anywhere between 10 minutes and 10 years. 

Of course, when replying to customer inquiries with emails, you always reply within a standard period, say 24 hours; however, this is still not a real time solution. 

Often a customer needs help now, not whenever the email is answered. 

So what’s the solution to this?  Simple. Help Desks. 

Help Desks fix all of these email-related problems. They are reliable as someone is always there to answer a customer’s call. There is no more confusion or worry about whether your email went through. 

Furthermore, they are personal as each customer complaint is handled in an individual fashion. Speaking one on one to a customer service rep will allow the customer to feel connected and prove to the customer that your company cares about them. Speaking to a real person can work wonders in the customer service sector. 

Finally help desks are in real time. That is, when a customer calls, they will be connected to someone immediately. There are no long response times while the customer waits for a sales rep to log on and check their email. 

A customer inquiry should be answered the moment they place it. That way you are proving to them that you care about their problem right then, and that you are dedicated to helping find a solution now, not later. 

Help Desks are the perfect way to ensure your customers complaints and inquiries are taken care of in a professional and personal manner.

But the truth as we found out was that if a company can develop a sincere and loyal client base, not only will the sales increase manifold by virtue of direct sales to these clients but in fact they will also preach about your company and make it famous enough to draw sales.

Loyalty marketing has for such reasons become such a concern nowadays. In the present stature of competition it becomes important to sustain a group of extremely dedicated clients who have a strong bond with the company and help spread it and recover sales figures. They also last the longest.
 
Your loyalty marketing strategy should be well planned out and devised with due attention paid to every aspect possible. For this you need to know a few things. To begin with you have to know with what frequency your customers and which ones are returning to your enterprise to make purchases.

Offer special services to your valued customers and you’ll see them responding positively in turn. Thus you craft an efficient two-way system that facilitates al your transactions in future.

At no point should it look to them that this is becoming a sole money-garnering tactic on your part. There should be considerable attention you pay to their requirements too.

Your strategy should be important in how you approach your customers to ask them to refer you to new customers. There are 4 basic measures by which strategy is devised. These are:

• Customer behavior tracking: To facilitate loyalty marketing, there needs to be a definite attempt to locate your consumers and especially the loyal ones. You have to find out the expenses he/she incurs on your products. Their behavioral dimensions and attitudes towards the company should b noted simultaneously. This way you know in advance who is impressed enough and who is not.

• Measurement: Keep a track of the performance objectives that your company is trying to accomplish. Also find out the customers’ retention analysis data. These will enable you to track what is working against your concern.

• Dialogue Marketing: Make sure you are sending the right signals and the right ideas to your preferred customers. Also crucial is that you are sending them at the right time.

• Customer Rewards and Benefits Programs: Match the needs and the requirements of your loyal customers and offer them bonus and other gift items that will always please the customer concerned and act as incentives for them to push your firm.

• Loyalty brochure: There should be separate loyalty brochures that you could deal out amongst your customers to tell them what’s in store for them.

• Customer Rewards and Benefits Programs: For loyalty marketing, this is a very helpful platform for your loyal customers to actually earn or reap rewards from your company that is actually particularly matched to every individual customer’s needs and preference.

Trust is an invaluable component in any business relation and if maintained and nurtured, is an assured asset which will yield returns over and over again.

So a crucial part of your job in retaining your existing customers is to keep them thinking of you. You cannot afford to neglect or ignore them at any stage if you want them back. So you have to make provisions for free gifts, discount offers, add-ons, etc. and make arrangements for mailings and follow ups in order to sustain their interest.

It is easy if your customers come through Internet campaigns, for you can then use email lists to keep them informed and interested.

But in the more traditional brick and mortar world, all this is a bit more taxing and cumbersome for you have to invest in print or media ads and direct mailings. These routes are as effective as your email lists, and to have a better chance, you should add the attraction of special offers, sales, and free gifts.

If you use only email, you need to be especially careful and make sure that you are providing your potential customers sufficient reason to continue being on your list. You could try and make available to them significant information about their interests and preferred topics. If you are able to lure them to your website through your email, you could introduce them to other products and offers.

In the snail mail world, it is to your advantage if you can use coupons to put products on sale. This allows you to compare and measure the relative successes of your different approaches or campaigns, and to evaluate the merits and drawbacks of each.

Send out one sales mailing to half of your customer list, and a different one to the other half, and assess the conversion rates of the mailings. The same strategy can as well be used with email.

Connect with your customers and make records about their interests, wants and preferences. You can then provide customized products and information for their guaranteed satisfaction

Another simple and effective way to build relations with your customer is to send them greeting cards containing a simple expression of your appreciation for them.

You could send out the cards for birthdays or anniversaries, on Christmas, Valentine’s Day, or New Year. You could even use these cards as invitation to attend your special sales or for other more direct announcements.

The advantage of greeting cards is that they are more discreet, more personal and more warm, things that your customer may remember you by.