If you are one of the many tradespeople that provide a service which isn’t necessarily required at regular intervals, it may seem really tempting to concentrate your efforts solely on acquiring realms and realms of new customers. However, many small business owners overlook the importance of customer retention and how looking after each and every client can pay off in the long run. 

Here are some useful tips to keep in mind if you’re keen to ensure that your customers will always come back to you at times when they face similar issues. 

Meet expectations

A survey carried out by customer experience experts Nicereply found that customer loyalty is the result of a business consistently meeting and exceeding customer expectations. If you have been employed to install a new kitchen, for example, you might think that there isn’t a massive amount that you can do above carrying out the job to the highest possible standards. In actual fact, you can show your customers that you care by making follow-up calls to make sure that they are happy with the work carried out in the weeks following completion. Not only will this help to exceed your clients’ expectations, but it will mean they are more likely to bear you in mind for any future jobs. 

Provide a great service

It goes without saying that a vital aspect of customer retention is providing your customers with the high level of service that they expect. However, if you’re working on your own, this can be more difficult than you may think. For example, if your phone starts ringing whilst you are already part way through a task, it’s natural to worry about missing out on a new customer or a returning client taking their business somewhere else. 

A good way to get round this issue might be to try and set a specific time period for responding to enquiries each day. By establishing a simple routine and sticking to it, your customers will appreciate you being transparent with your availability and are likely to build more trust in you. 

Shout about your success

Sure, nobody likes a show-off. But have a think about what makes you stand out from the other outfits within your industry. Have you got any special qualifications, certifications or have you worked on something really unique in the past? You should try and set yourself apart from the competition and make sure that people remember your name going forwards. 

If you’re already on social media, be sure to keep your followers up to date with the jobs that you’re currently working on and make sure that your profiles display all of your skills and accreditations. 

At Stax, we are firm believers in providing the best service possible and support all of our returning customers through our rewards platform, StaxPerx. If you’ve shopped with us within the last three months then make sure take advantage of free access to countless offers on both business and leisure products and services.