Repeat business is essential, even critical, to keep your doors open and foster growth. Your customer’s continual business is the foundation on which a prosperous enterprise is built. Here are 20 ideas that you can adapt to your business to keep your customers coming back:

• Use their name - often.
  
• Give more than you promise.
  
• Hire friendly people
  
• Say Thank You
  
• Ask for customer input
  
• Change with the times
  
• Calculate the long-term value of a customer.
  
• Match or better yet, exceed what your competitors are offering.
  
• Show customers the benefits rather than the features of your products.
  
• Reward customer loyalty - use frequent buyer programs, early bird offers, coupons, special gifts, etc.
  
• Treat employees well
  
• Do constant research - make sure you are pleasing and satisfying customers.
  
• Stay in contact - you need to be in your customer’s mind every time they need to buy in your industry.
  
• Handle problems and complaints promptly - it’s how you resolve the problem that really matters.
  
• Customer education - Have on-site classes at no charge.
  
• Cross train your employees; avoid gaps in service during absences.
  
• VIP treatment - special attention makes customers feel like you really appreciate and need their business - because you do.
  
• Get testimonials - letters and comment cards from satisfied and enthusiastic customers are a great selling tool for use with new prospects.
  
• Assess your customer’s needs - always be thinking of better ways to improve your products and services to fulfill.
  
• Use your employee’s ideas - they have everyday contact with your customers and many times will have suggestions you didn’t think of.

The bottom line is - you work hard and spend money to get customers, don’t let them escape. Do everything and anything necessary to satisfy them and keep in contact. Keep them coming back over and over again and your business will be prosperous and growing.

By Barry Thomsen - Publisher/Editor - Small Business Idea-Letter

For a detailed version of this topic, contact the Chamber: 529-5210