Maintaining Customer Service and Loyalty During Cut Backs

By Darrell Zahorsky: About.com Guide to Small Business


The mantra of business this past year has been to reduce spending, cut staff and save money. One area to easily neglect during crisis management of during a recession is customer retention and loyalty. Yet, customer loyalty can ultimately save your business. With reduced staff and a greater focus on the bottom line, how can you build greater customer loyalty? Consider the following:

Find Touch Points:
Your business has a range of touch points during the entire sales process and customer service cycle. Determine the vital points of contact for your customer. Find what is most important to your target market through conversations and surveys. Is it after sales support or product selection help? Understanding your touch points can help increase loyalty.

Focus on Your Top Customers:
Not all customers are created equal. Sure, everybody is looking for a good deal during an economic slowdown but your most important customers will spend more, provide better profitability and have a greater propensity for loyalty. Put more of your customer service dollars into your best clients.

Re-invent the Customer Experience:
The ways you are servicing your customers may be costly and outdated. Employ technology to help customers find answers fast and reduce costs. For instance, your customers highly value the setup following the purchase of your product. While you lack the resources to have staff service this touch point, consider alternatives such as building an extensive FAQ section on your website or creating an online forum where your customers can help each other.