Brand Loyalty – Relationship Marketing

They say that no good deed goes unpunished. This is certainly true in business, where companies that are beyond reproach in terms of their goods and service must still contend with customer complaints on a regular basis.

There’s a theory about unhappy customers. Called Pareto’s Law – after the economist who thought it up – this theory states that 20 percent of your customers will account for 80 percent of your sales, while (and this is the bad news) 20 percent of your customers will cause 80 percent of your problems.

Many find themselves pulled in two different directions as they attempt to deal with this trouble-making 20 percent. On the one hand, business owners want to prove their worth by listening to, and addressing their customers’ concerns. On the other hand, chronic malcontents are both a pain in the neck and an energy drain; it may be better to cut ties, and not do business with them at all.

Lord, grant me… Loyalty

The “Serenity Prayer” – God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference – was written by a nun. But if you own a business, you would do well to repeat these lines every day. Several times a day, if you’re the manager of a customer service department.

Of course you want to solve your customer’s problems, and it’s true that a complaint left hanging can go public, affecting your company’s reputation. But remember, there are people out there who will never be entirely happy with the service of any business. You don’t want to get so tied up in catering to the cranks that you neglect the contented customers that boost your bottom line. While the complainers certainly deserve your attention, you should reserve the lion’s share of your marketing time for cultivating loyalty among your satisfied customers.

Balancing Your Loyalty-Building Budget

As the good Dr. Pareto has shown us, only about 20% of those who chance by are the type of “blue chip” customer really worth investing in. Keep close tabs on the time you spend trying to turn unhappy customers into loyal customers, while you devote the lion’s share of your time to your most content and profitable clients. After all, these are the customers who will act as your word-of-mouth sales force, attracting similar people to your business.

Conduit – Keeping Your Happy Customers Happy

Conduit toolbars are an excellent way to streamline customer-business communication and trouble-shooting, something that builds loyalty by making it easier for all your customers to get the service they deserve. When you create a Conduit toolbar and offer it as a free download to site visitors, you create an always-open link to your site, whenever your customers are online. This makes it easy for customers to be in contact with their questions and concerns.

Conduit toolbars also build loyalty by pampering your happy customers with value-added extras and discounts, as well as fun features that keep your site in mind at all times. Conduit toolbar features are modular, and designed to be shared via email and social networking portals, making it easy to push our message out over the Web and reach people who share the tastes and values of the customers you most want to cultivate.