Customer loyalty
In a world of abundance there is too much of everything – and this is the reality for companies today. The world does not need a new type of can opener, hoover or dishwasher, nor is there a lack of places to eat, sleep or to be entertained. Because there is too much of most things – except time – we get bombarded with messages from companies telling us that their product is better than all the others. But we have heard that message a million times, so we close our minds to the noise. The result is that we tend to stay with what we like and what we know works for us.
Word of mouth
If we need to venture out into new experiences we seek the advise of someone we trust and ask: Do you know a great hotel in Barcelona, or what is your favourite restaurant in Paris? It’s called word of mouth.
Ambassadors for the company
When it comes to word of mouth loyal customers are more likely to tell others about their loyalty than just satisfied customers. Excited customers tell other people about their experiences and create ambassadors for the company. They become loyal customers and they keep returning. Attracting new businesses is therefore no longer a question of making more noise than all the others but to get the sweet whisper of word of mouth going. This implies shifting focus from being “noisy” to developing passionate ambassadors.
But in order to be a true loyal customer you at least have to be satisfied. Satisfied customers are the customers who get what they expected in terms of time, cost and quality.