We all have experienced poor customer service at some point in our lives. Be it at a restaurant, a bookshop or whilst buying online. Let’s be clear, when I say customer service, I mean the actual member of staff that you dealt with. I refer to the actual experience, the process and the aftercare. It could have been a variety of small things that you’d expect as part of great service. 

How did it make you feel about that brand? I bet that besides initial disappointment, you were most likely were feeling a bit MEH. Not awful, but wont be going back for a repeat service, right?

It is so much easier (and far more cost affective) to sell to someone who has already purchased from you. Repeat sales are how you will boost your profit ( read: none or minimal marketing costs to generate leads!). 

But how do you achieve a higher customer retention and encourage repeat business? 

Whilst customer journey pitfalls might be similar in most cases, each business (and their customers) are unique, therefore, no strategy will ever be the same. There are some common denominators that will help you to get started.  

HOW TO CREATE A REMARKABLE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE 

1. Have a simple, but clear strategy.

2. Understand and anticipate your customer needs.

3. Create a process (and follow it!)

4. Make it easy for your customers to come back.

5. Communicate with your customers.

AN EXAMPLE OF A POOR CUSTOMER BUYING EXPERIENCE

These days most businesses sell their products online. Those customer experience and retention strategies will be very different from those businesses that sell from physical shops. Please note that in this article we are not talking about the customer journey mapping and brand touchpoints leading up to the sale. We are analysing their experiences before, during, and after the sale.  

Let’s use a very simplified example of a made-up online retailer Libby’s Melts which sells handmade luxury wax melts. Currently, she is not doing very well with her online sales and seems to have a lot of abandoned carts and website drop-offs. Here’s an example of the typical sales process.

Soon-to-be customer Liz is ready to buy from Libby’s online store. She read some amazing reviews and the price point seems to be good. 

Ahead of her purchase, Liz explores Libby’s Melts Instagram profile trying to find some more information about delivery times. The business has the most beautiful feed filled with their products, but Liz is not able to find any of the information that she needs. She gets fed up looking and wants to check out the business website, but it is not listed on IG. Really? An eye roll later, and the search on a good old Google brings up the website. Liz finds the information that she needs and once selected the scents that she is after, she goes to make an order.

During the checkout, Liz was forced to create an account despite having the option to check out as a guest. She also had to enter her details a few times, which was a pain. 

Following the purchase, Liz saw a confirmation page on the website, but there was no email to confirm. A couple of days later with no news or updates, Liz messaged Libby’s Melts on Instagram for an update. She received a reply a day later to say that there have been some delays but the order will be shipped tomorrow. It left Liz frustrated. The package arrived two days later looking wonderful. The melts were just as good as everyone said they would be! It was worth the wait and Liz was thrilled with her purchase. 

What happens next? NOTHING. No email to follow up, ask for feedback or even to encourage another sale! That’s a HUGE missed opportunity for Libby’s Melts to learn and improve business service and to create a loyal brand advocate (and a repeat customer)! 

I always recommend mapping out a full customer journey in detail as possible. Whilst it can be a time consuming exercise, it is also an excellent way to put yourself in your customers’ shoes and see your business from an ‘outsiders’ perspective. 

The bigger the business the more elaborate and detailed mapping process. But even a simple visual plan could be useful to begin with. You can always revisit it and make amends as needed. Your customer needs and behaviours change all the time and it is worth adjusting your strategy to anticipate their needs. 

Below is a list of example considerations for Libby’s Melts that could help improve her buyers’ experience and boost her retention rates. You could could use this as a baseline checklist for your business too: 

Phase 1. Immediately before purchase 

Iron out issues such as optimising your social media. Update your link in bio, use story highlights to answer Q&A’s. Share videos of you talking about how to buy from you / explain your product range. Educate your audience. 

Make the most of your website. Give as much information as possible: pre-empty objections, use high quality imagery and write informative product descriptions.

Phase 2. During the purchase 

Make buying and checking out process simple. Remove unnecessary forms to encourage smooth transactions. Make sure you offer a variety of convenient payment options too. Clearly display shipping costs and approximate time frames.  

Phase 3. Immediately after the purchase  

Set up automated sale confirmation and shipping update emails. If automation is not possible, consider creating a template email and send it manually after each sale. Manual option is only applicable for very small business that are starting out. Also, ensure that you keep your customers up to date at all times and set realistic expectations. 

Offer an option for the buyers to subscribe to future marketing emails from you. Then add them to a segmented mailing list, which will allow future targeted communications. This can be done at the check out (most common practice).

Phase 4. Nurturing & Repeat Business 

A sale is NOT the end of your customers journey! This is where customer nurturing comes to play. A well planned email campaign will boost your customer retention rate and encourage repeat sales. 

Once your products are delivered ask for feedback. Encourage interaction on social media and consider creating initiatives for existing customers only. 

Nurture the relationship and try to learn more about your customers. Whether it’s via email or social media, ask questions, and conduct surveys. Tailor your communications and create targeted email and ad campaigns ahead of big launches, share new releases etc. 

User generated content and reviews are worth its wight in gold when it comes to building trust. Encourage customers to share your products on their social media profiles and consider referral programmes to build engagement. 

Phase 5. Loyal customer and band advocate. 

Remember, that happy customers is the best advocate for your business. They will do a huge chunk of your marketing for you. It is absolutely worthwhile investing the time and the effort of getting to know them and provide the best experience possible. 

You want to make your brand to be the first thing that pops to their head when they think about a specific product. That only comes through consistent and intentional customer nurturing campaigns. Always focus on providing a superior customer experience over just trying to get another sale over the bottom line. 

FINAL THOUGHTS 

This is a very brief basic overview of how you could improve your customer retention rates and increase repeat sales. And, of course, save a good penny on your marketing. 

Adopting a customer centric approach to your business is the way forward. Understanding their wants and anticipating their needs will help you grow. Let me remind you of a statement I mentioned earlier - "People buy from people". Put your customer needs first. Focus on excellent products and service; and create a remarkable buying experience and watch your business grow.