My mom was and still is an amazing athlete. She taught my brothers and I how to shoot a puck and throw a ball. When I was growing up, my mom would always take my two brothers and I to the same local sporting goods store every hockey season. Unlike a lot of other stores, this one was owned and operated by a mother and her sons; a family that knew their stock and their customers. 

When my mom took us to get new equipment, the staff would always look her in the eye and never discount her opinion because of her gender. They gave us amazing service and would occasionally give us discounts because of the volume of product we would buy.

The store was pretty far from our house, and the prices were higher than the big box stores… but my mom would say, “They are always so good to us and they call me by name.” 

There was no arguing with that. This family-run business had my mom as a fiercely loyal customer. We went back every season and you better believe that she told the other hockey parents about THIS store.

The Customers We Need

Now, when I talk about a “fiercely loyal customer,” I don’t mean the Nike or Apple fanatics that live and die by the brands they identify with. I mean customers that consistently choose your services over another, even if that means driving further or spending more money than they would at similar service providers. 

Give Them the Microphone

It really is amazing how loud the voice of a single person can be today. A positive and enthusiastic review, tweet, snap or post speaks loudly and directly to other potential customers, and this glowing review is hopefully coming from your fiercely loyal customers. 

As a business, encourage your customers to review your services online through a survey or a rating system. Get as many client reviews and posts as you can, because if a potential customer needs the services you provide, the first place they’ll go to is a Search Engine.

Guarantee Satisfaction

Think about it as a consumer: If you googled “carpet cleaners,” would you be more inclined to call the business with no reviews or the place with 4.5/5 stars and 75 reviews? It’s a no-brainer. 

Social media is the other space that a satisfied customer can spread the word about your business. Where traditional word-of-mouth was a 1-to-1 delivery, social media is shared to all members that you have on that given network; and more channels means more hits.

Encourage and incentivize customers to interact with you on social media; tag you in posts, like your Facebook page or taking pictures of a service you provide.

Be Consistently Great

This means that you and your employees need to always be on your game. If you are encouraging your clients to interact with you, rate your services and tell others about their experiences, then you need to ensure that these interactions are positive. 

You’re going to get a few average and bad reviews. That’s ok. Don’t panic. Negative feedback is natural, what’s important is how you address, solve and grow from this feedback. 

Turn Potential Clients into Fiercely Loyal Customers

Talk to your best customers and ask them why they come to you instead of other businesses. Their answers might surprise you. 

Learn your strengths and work on your weaknesses. Get your whole business on the same page and realize that consistently excellent customer service and products will truly separate you from the competition.