Invite A Customer to Return = Repeat Business

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Invite A Customer to Return = Repeat BusinessIt’s human nature to be wanted.  You meet someone for the first time and have a great conversation at lunch, dinner or over coffee, the ultimate compliment is when either party says to the other, “Let’s do this again.  And let’s do it soon.” An invitation is motivating. We are hot-wired with mirror neurons to respond positively to positive, friendly requests.  Think about dating, most of us have, and we all know how important and special it feels, especially at the end of the first date to hear that it would be nice to see you next week. When you are invited to return, it makes you feel wanted and accepted. Customers who purchase goods and services are people. Those businesses that understand the value of inviting customers to return will reap the advantage of a repeat customer.

I live in New York City. There does not seem to be an official count of restaurants in Manhattan, but unofficially there are over 10,000. Even if people living in the city eat locally, there are probably at least 200 choices just in their neighborhood within a short walk or a few stops on the subway.  Eighty percent of restaurants that open during any year will close within the next 5 years. Good food is important, dollar value is vital and delivering an exceptional customer experience is critical to fight these statistics. But, those three ingredients will not always guarantee success.

City Crab and Seafood is a restaurant in my neighborhood.  My first visit was more than memorable.  The food was delicious and my waiter, Iron, was incredible. He was welcoming, engaging, and knew the menu by heart.  But what made the experience really special was that Iron invited me to return.  How?  He told me he enjoyed serving me and wanted to see me again.  Iron gave me his cell number, the days he worked and his shifts.  He suggested I text or call him directly whenever I wanted to dine and he would be my “waiter for life.”  The result?  City Crab is our “go to” place to eat and we see Iron often.  Every time we’re with him, we’re with family.

It doesn’t matter if you own a gas station, manage a customer service department or a run a medical office. If your staff communicates the message that they are eager to see a customer another time, it can work wonders. Not only does the person feel good for the moment, it’s the gift that keeps on giving and makes the customer feel good.

You might say to yourself, do I really care if I see the same person at the grocery store, mall or restaurant?  As Steve Jobs once stated, “sometimes people don’t really know what they want until they get it.”  I know that most customers go back to the same coffee shop because the people behind the counter know their name, give them that welcoming smile and say, “I will see you tomorrow.” In any enterprise, knowing that someone wants to see you again makes a person feel good. Any company with employees who are able to create and nurture a relationship and invite the customer to return, has the formula for generating repeat business

Republished with author's permission from original post.

Richard Shapiro
Richard R. Shapiro is Founder and President of The Center For Client Retention (TCFCR) and a leading authority in the area of customer satisfaction and loyalty. For 28 years, Richard has spearheaded the research conducted with thousands of customers from Fortune 100 and 500 companies compiling the ingredients of customer loyalty and what drives repeat business. His first book was The Welcomer Edge: Unlocking the Secrets to Repeat Business and The Endangered Customer: 8 Steps to Guarantee Repeat Business was released February, 2016.

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