It’s January, and we all know what happened one minute after midnight on December 31st; if you are like most, you probably pledged to eat healthy, sign up for a new gym, find a new hair stylist or something similar. New Year’s resolutions are a tradition and these resolutions can frequently translate into a great first quarter for many businesses. Unfortunately, those excited and motivated new customers often fall off one by one as the year progresses.
In most businesses, the attrition rate for new customers is twice as high as that for long term customers. First time customers need to feel welcomed, important and appreciated on every encounter, especially those that were initiated or created by a resolution.
I can guarantee that your businesses’ first quarter revenue will not slowly evaporate during the year if your establishment has a front-line associate who has the responsibility of being a ‘Welcomer’. Any establishment can dramatically increase their revenues and profits by employing front-line associates who are natural loyalty builders.
For the most part, people are loyal to other people, not to the company. While there are some exceptions like Zappos, Apple and American Express, most customers frequent the same store out of convenience or because they have built up a relationship with one of the businesses’ associates. Whether it’s John at the checkout counter, Joan who serves them at their favorite coffee shop, or Andy at the bank’s drive-in window, associates that truly engage with customers help businesses build loyal, lifetime customers.
The secret is to have front-line associates who are ‘Welcomers’; people who see the customer as a person first, consumer second. These are associates who want to learn more about the customer, so they can help them better and give them a really big, welcoming smile before they even say two words to them.
New customers that start off their resolutions at your place of business need to be able to discuss their resolutions and goals with folks who not only listen, but know how to build relationships. Relationships are the “loyalty glue” that keep new customers around forever. People that walk through your doors with a New Year’s Resolution in hand need to be met by a ‘Welcomer’ who makes the effort to build a relationship that will convert them into a long time customer.
Did you make a New Year’s Resolution?
