|
This article gives 10 suggestions and ideas to
maintain, improve and increase customer loyalty for your
Catholic family business.
Customer loyalty defined
Customer loyalty can be defined as: the long-term business
relationship customers have with your business because they
benefit from the good service that you give them. Customer
loyalty does not happen overnight: rather, it is
built by a lot of repeat business and repeat sales from
the services you provide them. The more customers come back
to you and patronize your business regularly on a long-term basis,
the more customer loyalty is built in the business relationship.
The ideal situation which customer loyalty can then be directed
to, is towards lifelong business relationships. In this
scenario, our customers and our Catholic business, are engaged
in a lifelong business relationship.
10 ways to increase customer loyalty
- Prompt action
- Honesty
- "The customer is always right"
- "More than just the money"
- Mutual trust
- "Giving the benefit of the doubt"
- "Walking the extra mile"
- Generosity of service
- Patience
- Good will
Prompt action
Have you seen how great is the service
being done by service industries such
as fast food chains? When a customer orders
food from the sales person at the cashier's
stand, he sees the young man or young woman
immediately responding to the order. Although
we cannot equal the physical energy of the young
sales personnel of the fast food chain, we can
translate that spirit of immediate response
through many other ways: through our responses
in our mobile phones and our emailing. An
ideal situation though, is to employ younger
personnel who have the energy to meet
the demands of customer requests. They
would really have the physical energy to
respond immediately to what the customer needs.
On our part, as owners of our Catholic
family business, we can simply place
immediate attention with customer demands,
and respond to it when we can, either in
terms of decision or communication, or delegate
it to younger members of the family business
who have the physical energy to literally
"run" to respond to customer demand.
Honesty
This is one of the hardest things to do in
any form of business. However, it is
possible, especially if we value much our
Catholic faith and how we integrate it to
our family business. Indeed, one of the
really important intellectual assets, is
the principle of honesty, built-in within the
transactions and business deals of our
Catholic family business. It is this quality
which will really endear us to our clients and
customers, and also accentuate our business
with a trademark of honesty and integrity.
One way of practicing this principle of
honesty is to make it a point to count
all the money at the end of a business day
and then see if we have shortchanged anybody.
When we see that we have did so, then we
make it a point to correct the transaction.
"The customer is always right"
In business, we are often tempted to do
what pleases us. However, to really have
a customer-driven business, we need to focus
on the customer. This means following that
old business adage: "The customer is always
right". When we practice this, it is for
certain that customers will always come
back for more. If they get what they want
and are pleased with it, then we really have
done our best in serving the customer.
There may be times when we need to balance
between what is right for the customer and
what is right for the business. If situations
like these arise, let us not forget that our
Catholic family business exists only because
of the patronization of our services by
people: without them, we won't have a
business. So, let us not place ourselves
in situations where we may be at
loggerheads with them. When this is about
to erupt, we must remember that they
sought our business, because they need
our services or have a problem that needs to
be addressed. Quality service means
doing the best we can, given all the
limitations and present resources that exists
on both sides of the business equation:
on the side of our business and on the side of
the customer.
"More than just the money"
If we build our Catholic family business to
mean "something greater than just the money",
then our customers and clients will really
discover and sense that there is a vision,
a mission to what we do. In this sense,
you not only get customers, but you have
reaped people who believe and are loyal
to "something greater than just the money".
And you will find that they not only
patronize your services, but in a way,
help and support your business
with their money, time and resources. Therefore,
what is really important is that we be rooted
well in our vision and mission to serve
the people we seek to serve: people who
believe in the institution of the family and
who work and earn a living in order to
build and support their family.
Mutual trust
Trust is the basic and underlying truth that
must exist in the business-customer relationship.
If we work and build our business in a way that
supports this trust, then our Catholic family
business will be built on rock. If we operate
the business that is built on the loyalty of
customers, then building understanding between
business and customers is really a must. It
is true that there may be times when mistrust
can enter in our business relationship. If this
happens, then we must not place the blame on
the customer. The responsibility of building
trust lies on us: the Catholic family business.
It is us who are called to a vision and a mission
of serving the Catholic family and families in
general. Therefore, it is our responsibility
to lead people to trust in this vision and this
mission.
"Giving the benefit of the doubt"
In our business operations, it is a reality that
we have to face certain situations where an
element of doubt enters. If this doubt is in
relation to a temptation to judge the intention
of the customer or client, then it is best to
"give the benefit of the doubt" to this situation.
Otherwise, we may compromise the business
transaction and lead it into a direction of
misjudgment and error. Since, as owners of the
Catholic family business, we are in leadership
responsibility, then it is up to us to lead
the customer in areas where understanding,
trust, and honesty abound. If we are faithful
in this, then whenever doubtful situations
arise and test us, all we need to do is to
root back ourselves on the basic principles
that maintain all human relationships:
understanding.
"Walking the extra mile"
Sometimes, when the Catholic family business
is in that stage when it needs to gain the
loyalty of a new customer, "walking the
extra mile" for him or her will truly
build that loyal business relationship
with them. At this stage of the relationship,
the customer needs to feel that he or she
is a special person. If they are treated
in this manner, and they indeed feel it
when you "walk that extra mile" for them,
this will assure you of subsequent business
from them. Moreover, "walking the extra
mile" for customers assures us that we
are in the right spirit of doing business:
the spirit of service excellence that
will endure the tests of time.
Generosity of service
This is a customer loyalty tip that must
always permeate the transactions of the
Catholic family business. If "walking
the extra mile" is best at the first
stages of the business relationship with
the customer, generosity of service is
the business spirit that will truly give
life to the Catholic family business.
If every member of the Catholic family
business where to render his service
"without counting the cost", then
truly, the family business will be
surprised at the income and the profit
they will receive even when economic
times are hard and difficult. For when
economies are feeling the pinch of
downward financial trends, it is the
service industries that thrive and
prosper. It is because service derives
its strength and resources from a
spirit of generosity: that Catholic
spirit of "not counting the cost".
Patience
A very important attitude when dealing
with customers and clients is patience.
Serving customers, especially when they
have problems, calls for a kind of patience
that can be said to be "saintly". It is
not easy solving problems and responding
to requests that bear upon our strengths
and energies. The problems, the difficulties,
and the snags that happen in our business
operations can really test our temper and
our equanimity. If we don't take time to
find inner sources and strengths to develop
patience, then it is likely that the
Catholic family business will be snarled
with conflicts and adversarial situations.
The best way to maintain a patient attitude
towards our loyal customers is to treat
them as persons and to make a commitment
to really serve them "with a smile in
our hearts".
Goodwill
This is perhaps one of the classic intellectual
assets of service industries that is proven to maintain
harmony and good relationship between business
and customers. Goodwill is both an attitude
and a frame of mind that intends the good for
the customer and the client. In any business
relationship, this is perhaps the most
important intellectual asset that must be
safeguarded in order for the business to
continue to thrive and to prosper. When
ill-intentioned thoughts and ill-intentioned
feelings sneak in, if these are not thwarted
through discipline, then it is likely that all
the goodwill that has been built in the business
will slowly go downhill. The best way to safeguard
the goodwill of a Catholic family business is to
always go back to the roots and the original
vision that has spurred the creation and development
of the family enterprise in the first place. When
everyone in the Catholic family business has returned
to that original spirit of the enterprise and has
imbibed the very reason and principles by which the
business has been founded and built, then goodwill
will surely flourish again, and the Catholic business
will again tread the course that was originally
intended by the founding members of the family.
Summary
These 10 suggestions for building customer
loyalty are not the only principles which can
work for our Catholic family business. However,
we can build from these core principles, and
add more as we take our Catholic family business
to greater acts of service. The 10 "service" principles
by which customer loyalty is built, is best
exercised by all in the business: both employers
and employed. However, it is the responsibility
of the employers to lead in the spirit of these
service principles. Also, when the Catholic
family business develops, and goes on to work
at a higher level, it must not forget these
10 service principles that has helped it
survive, thrive and prosper in the initial
stages of its growth and development. And
too often, when economic times really experience
a downward trend, going back to these 10
service principles will help steer it again
towards the course of stability and long-term
service that it is really intended for,
and which will last for the next generation
of family members.
Other related articles:
|
|
Catholic Internet Mission Info
A source of Catholic articles on business,
internet and leadership from a Catholic context
and perspective. Special focus is on
building a Catholic articles web site.
Gospel and Culture Info
A source of information on the Catholic faith,
with special emphasis on the teaching of John
Paul II. Special focus is also made on the
production of
Catholic eBooks.
Ask Help Online
For any concern, additional information
needed or any help you would like to
ask for, you can use the form in this
page.
|
|
|
Ways to Increase Customer Loyalty
