How committed are you to the brands you use? 7 years ago the company I was working for made a switch in the cell phones offered. I went from a Blackberry owner (trackwheel and all) to the proud recipient of the all new iPhone 3. I thought it was amazing. It had a touchscreen and color and the app store was loaded with games. I still have an iPhone today but why? How do we become so loyal to the brands that we use? I am under no disillusionment that the iPhone has the best technology, the fastest processing or the clearer screen but I still cringe at the idea of changing what I have become comfortable with.
While Apple is an easy example, it is not the only example in my life of brand loyalty. I have a particular brand of hockey stick, podcast microphone, breakfast cereal, tennis shoe etc. But I think we commit stronger to comfort they offer than we do to the actual brand, quality or capability. Brand loyalty, and loyalty in general, is not something that just “happens”. It takes time and testing, a period of uncommitted use and finally acceptance. And while brand loyalty takes time to create, it only takes a moment to destroy.
Let me share an example with you. I love ice cream- cookie dough ice cream. And there are very few instances that I would turn down a bowl of the good stuff. Over the past couple of years my family has gotten pretty loyal to a particular frozen yogurt shop in town where you can select your yogurt and then cover it in toppings. We have gotten so loyal to this particular company that my kids are unaware of alternatives. I have always been very complimentary of this particular company and sing their praises every chance that I get. Well…..until this week.
Here’s the story – I have a loyalty card that I use every time we go (which is more often then we should). And this loyalty card is similar to other loyalty cards; the more you buy, the more free yogurt you earn. The pinnacle of achievement for this card is to get the “Unlimited Cup”. Basically you purchase (over time) 520 ounces of yogurt and then you earn the right to fill a cup up to capacity (and beyond) and not pay. I like to set goals and I determined that earning the “unlimited cup” was worthy of my pursuit. I was doing pretty good on my endeavor and had a little under half way to goal when my brand loyalty was tested. This past weekend I went to get some yogurt and found that they had updated their loyalty program and reset my purchased quantity to zero. All that focus and hard work was erased. Does it sound overly dramatic to say I was devastated?
So how do make sure we do not destroy brand loyalty in our businesses? I have 3 suggestions for you to consider
- Know your customer (or client) – who are they, what generation do they come from, their ethnic diversity, gender and demographic. Knowing who you serve (generally) can help you create a culture that builds loyalty. Understanding why your customers work with you or buy from you helps you focus on their needs. When needs are met loyalty increases.
- Put yourself in your customer’s shoes – focusing on the experience of the client will change your focus from profits to service. What experience does the client have as they walk in through the doors of your business or call into your support desk? Do they feel important and valuable or ignored and unappreciated? Seeing your operation from the client perspective should determine how you set up the office flow, who you hire to interact with them and where you reinvest your resources. While the customer may not always be right, a loyal customer is worth the effort.
- Learn from your blunders – no matter how much focus you put on your customers there will always be occasions of complaint. It is impossible to please everyone and while we strive for perfection there are times when we will come up short. Don’t look at those experiences as failures but rather educational opportunities. These are chances to reevaluate and make changes, to learn and grow and improve. A mistake doesn’t become a failure until you miss the lesson.
To win in the loyalty game you must be focused on the client. You must be adaptable and know what drives repeat business; because a loyal customer is worth the effort. As I approached the yogurt counter this weekend with my slightly overfilled bowl, grumbling under my breathe about the increased price and decreased reward points I still made the purchase- because, after all, I’m pretty loyal to my cookie dough ice cream.