Retaining your current clients is much easier than bringing in new clients. So why are we still losing clients? Customer retention includes the actions your business takes to keep clients. What retention tools or strategies are you using to retain your customers? Here are five strategies to help retain your current customers. (and even your team)
#1 Shorten your bench and appreciate your team.
You cannot do retention alone. You need the help of your entire team. If your team is too large or not committed to your business (ie. they teach once a week) they are not going to know your client base well enough to build relationships that retain customers. Having fewer people on your team can help to create stronger relationships among your team and your customers.
It is also crucial to show your team appreciation. The Five Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace is a great resource on how to do this. Lead by example. You show appreciation to your team and that will trickle down to your customers.
#2 Create, share and implement policies.
Customers want a consistent experience every time they come to your studio. It is important to have structure and order to run a business smoothly. This helps your team and your customers. Be sure to have well outlined policies to demonstrate your strong leadership and organization. Also have expectations that are clearly communicated and measured for your staff. Having “unwritten” rules leads to disorganization and chaos instead of a consistent customer experience every time.
#3 Emotionally engage with your clients.
This does not mean you need to be all touchy-feely. This means you are warm, authentic, caring and demonstrate active listening. You are there to learn more about your customer and their goals, not share stories about yourself or your business. Be sure to use the customer's name to welcome them and use their name throughout their session. Practice active listening with your staff so that you can model what you would like them to do. Learn more about the goals your staff have as a way to model how to learn more about the customer. It is important to show that you genuinely care.
#4 Win them over before you have to win them back.
50-60% of customers never come back after their first visit. You spent good marketing dollars to get them in the door and then didn’t have the retention tools to keep them. Providing a WOW service is crucial- everything from customer service to facility maintenance to great instruction is needed. Is your business constantly working to improve these areas? Have you been practising with your instructors to improve their virtual teaching skills? Have you provided training for the front desk for customer service? Have you optimized your client registration process to make it simple and seamless?
Celebrating milestones and goals with customers will keep them engaged for the long haul. Ensure your communications (emails and texts) are personal, engaging and provide value to your customer. The WOW service has to extend for every visit your customer has to ensure that consistent experience every time.
#5 Move your business forward, instead of reaching for the past.
Our business goes in the direction of our focus. If we spend more time focussing on the customers who are not there, we cannot move our business forward. Instead of spending our time on winbacks, the suspension list and those who have not had a visit in the past year, focus on your members, the new client who just had their first visit and the customers you see every day. Offer referral programs to encourage the clients you love to bring in friends. Schedule regular check in calls with members and frequent class pack users. Focus your attention on the clients who are there.
It is important to ensure that your entire team is working to retain your customer base. Having multiple retention tools and strategies is important to meet the needs of your customers. Businesses tend to spend more time on marketing and while that is important we need to have retention tools in place prior to marketing. How can your business WOW your customer?