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Common-Sense Ways to Build Customer Loyalty (Part 2)

Pointers from Paulie B: The elements of a loyalty program

SUN CITY WEST, Ariz. — When thinking about how to build customer loyalty, the first thing that comes to mind is outstanding customer service. And not only personal customer service. You want your customers to feel good about your store in every possible way, to not even consider going elsewhere.

In Part 1, I suggested that hiring friendly people as attendants and giving customers little things that they don’t expect can generate loyalty. Allow me to continue:

WHAT’S A LOYALTY PROGRAM?

Card stores have an edge with loyalty programs to incentivize people to keep returning. It’s not hard for a card store to create a “Frequent Washer Deal,” rewarding a customer who uses 10 or 12 washers with a free wash of the same size, for example.

Or there’s accumulating points. A customer can earn points for every dollar they load on their card. Let’s say a system grants 10 points for every dollar loaded. You can then award a free wash after they spend $50, $100, whatever level you want.

Want a special on top of that? Try awarding double points on the day they reach $1,000 spent at your mat. Or, they can earn, say, $10 on their card if they use your mat more than three times a month.

I’m not familiar with which system can grant which type of loyalty program. That you’ll need to research on your own, but they all have some kind of flexibility with rewards, as far as I am aware.

For coin stores, the gold standard has been the punch card. Each time a customer uses the mat, the attendant punches a card with a custom hole punch; the customer earns a reward once the card is full.

The only downside to that is a customer might find the same hole puncher the laundry uses. The same is true of a colored stamper. A customer can also loan his card to a friend to rack up washes.

I don’t favor this approach, because it may lead to arguments. Try granting discounts to seniors or first responders on your slow days.

And don’t forget your drop-off or pickup and delivery customers. Give these folks who give you their laundry during the week a discount. This gives them some control over price, which shows you’re offering a genuine deal, plus it’ll take pressure off your mats and employees on weekends.

When customers feel they are getting a good deal, they are more likely to keep coming back.

If you offer to remove most stains; spray collars and cuffs; and wrap socks and underwear instead of rubber-banding them or balling them up, you’ll stand out from competitors who don’t offer these customer perks.

DON’T ARGUE OVER LITTLE THINGS

Sooner or later, a customer will have some kind of negative experience in your mat. It’s how you handle it that makes the difference. You could actually lose a loyal customer if you don’t believe them when they say a machine is not working. A free wash or dry doesn’t break the bank.

Besides, how many times can a customer say their machine doesn’t work until you decide to “fire” them from your store?

In Tuesday’s conclusion: The best loyalty program is….

Common-Sense Ways to Build Customer Loyalty

(Image licensed by Ingram Publishing)

Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Bruce Beggs at [email protected].