Customer Loyalty – A Must For Your Business With CXN Inc.
One big sale does not make a company successful, advises CXN Inc.. Any seasoned sales rep will tell you that, but for decades, businesses seemed to have little idea of what it took to increase income without spending a fortune to attract new customers. It took a while for them to realize that it was the returning customer who made them successful, and customer loyalty was therefore the key to success.
For decades, customer loyalty was either taken for granted or totally ignored. Some companies such as financial institutions and brokerage houses took their customers for granted, assuming they wouldn’t go anywhere else because it was just too much trouble to change these types of accounts. Other places like the neighborhood diner and corner drug store never thought much about this concept until some sort of competition arrived. Until that happened, customers were taken for granted.
Suddenly all the shop owners were worried about their customers. Some shops were even forced out of business. Others needed to learn how to attract new customers along with keeping the ones they had. For the first time they were faced with competition. Customers learned that competition caused price wars and sales, and they no longer felt compelled to shop where they once did if what they wanted was cheaper on the other side of town.
Due to all of this competition, stores, companies, restaurants and anyone who depends on sales of any type, customers have become a key talking point in leading companies to further success and even failure prevention. Consultants are hired to teach companies how to retain customers and reward them for their continued loyalty and customers now expect to be rewarded for their patronage, repeat business, and seek out establishments that do have these loyalty programs in place.
Drug stores, grocery stores, pet stores, spas, nail salons and fast food restaurants and even our favorite coffee houses have all jumped on the bandwagon with all sorts of customer loyalty programs. Credit card sized loyalty program cards are given out so customers can gain points after each purchase. Coupons spit out with the sales receipts. Emails offer special programs and bonuses for reaching specific levels. Free merchandise, food, and very attractive coupons are the goals of all the loyal customers, says CXN.
Some leading retail chains have instituted programs where customers receive $10 gift cards for every $250 spent. Another has an entire section of their website available only to ‘gold’ customers; they are offered larger discounts and even free shipping on many products including clothes, electronics and home goods. A famous coffee purveyor has only recently implemented a loyalty program, which includes previously unheard of ‘free refills’ after attaining a certain number of points each month. Even our old standby fast food restaurants to which we have all been loyal for decades now offer discounts and ‘twofers’ on a regular basis to everyone.
Rewards aren’t just provided by mall stores and online companies, says CXN. CXN Inc tells us that as long as these customer loyalty programs continue, business should continue to thrive.