Everybody likes to think they’re special. Your existing customers, for example. They are special, and they are the bedrock of your business.
Research from Small Business Trends found that 65 percent of a company’s business comes from existing customers. And, they found, long-term customers spend 67 percent more in months 31 to 36 of their relationship with a business than they do in the first six months.
And if existing customers leave, replacing them is expensive. Stats from SBT show:
It costs 5 percent more to acquire a new customer than it does to keep a current one.
A mere two percent increase in customer retention can lower costs by as much as 10 percent.
Repeat customers spend 33 percent more than new customers.
Lowering your customer churn rate by 5 percent can increase your profitability by 25 to 125 percent.
So how can you show your best customers some love? Turn them into very important people – VIPs.
We turned to our friends at HubSpot for their recommendations, and we were blown away by their first (and biggest) recommendation. Here it is:
Adopt a multi-channel customer service system.
You can see why we might be excited by their advice because SMS-Magic is one of the best, value-driven apps for connecting with your customers via text messaging. But let’s put that aside for the moment and think about how you can use text messaging as a customer service innovation.
Customers like it. Your customers like easy, timely access to you, and if you provide a consistent brand across your channels, platforms, and devices, customer satisfaction will increase.
It’s not that your customers spend much time thinking about your company. Instead, they might need your help to solve a problem. They might have a repair or installation concern. They might want to know that a deadline is approaching. They might want to talk to someone who knows the product or service very well. When your customers are frustrated and need support, they want an easy way to get the help they need.
One-way texting (from you to them) might be useful, but wouldn’t it be great if your customers could reach out to you with text messaging? They can if you use “conversational messaging” instead of simple texting as one of the ways you connect with them. Conversational messaging allows you to communicate back and forth to solve a problem.
And what if your customers are treated like VIPs when they reach out? White-glove service. Prompt attention. Quick solutions. A friendly person on the other end.
You can start a formal VIP program with points, discounts, and coupons to get your point across. Or you can change your customer service approach and recognize your customers for the vital part of your business they are by treating them as VIPs. It might be a culture change for your customer service reps, but your customers will love it.
Remember that customers will need to give you permission to text them. You can get their approval when they buy your products, sign up for extended warranties, reach out to you for advice or repair, or ask for more information about the services you offer. When conversational messaging becomes part of your customer outreach program, you extend your ability to connect with your customers.
Let SMS-Magic Help You
If you choose the messaging app carefully, you can tie it directly into your CRM. We work particularly well with Salesforce and Zoho, but we can help you with many others, and we work with all the messaging apps like Messenger, WhatsApp, and SnapChat, so you don’t sacrifice anything to reach your best customers wherever they are!
Contact us to set up a demo or to start your free trial. Let us show you how SMS-Magic can help you treat your best customers like VIPs!
