As a small business owner, you’re always busy, wearing a few dozen hats at once in the hope of seeing even the smallest signs of success. Some days are as fun as they are rewarding while others can’t end soon enough, when it seems as though, no matter what you do, you can’t please everyone.

Just going through the motions of trying to please everyone isn’t always enough. You need to have a strategy involving every type of customer, including what to watch for and how to convert reluctant customers into loyal ones. This is where you can use your customer retention techniques as promoted by Bartercard!

It’s a given that the better you can serve each type, the more sales you’re likely to make. You don’t need to think any deeper than that to get started! Give them an excellent reason to give you their email addresses and/or other contact information, then build the relationship with a nurturing campaign.

Differentiating between buyers, researchers, bargain hunters, loyal customers, and the just plain dissatisfied

For all types of customers, buying from you should be hassle-free. Clear every obstacle from your customers’ path and give them what they want. For instance, you can keep bargain hunters happy with even the smallest discount. It’s wise for most businesses to be keenly aware of the thrill people feel when they find a bargain. Even a small price adjustment or other special benefits can be enough to turn a “No” into a sale.

Provide your ‘researcher’ with plenty of dimensions, instructions, details, data—anything and everything a prospective buyer might need to make an informed decision. Your job is to determine the kinds of things researchers will need to know, then make it easy for them to access that information.

To convert a new customer into a loyal one, make sure you welcome them back and treat them like gold with your customer loyalty schemes. If you make them feel like a celebrity for buying from you, then they’ll very likely be back for more.

What to do about dissatisfied customers

Listen closely to your dissatisfied customers. Admittedly, some people are difficult to deal with and impossible to please. Even though you can’t make everybody happy, you should still try. Irate customers who realise you can’t magically make the garment fit them perfectly, but you’ll at least go over that sizing chart to make sure it’s accurate, are often satisfied that you’ve heard them and that you made an earnest effort.

Here’s something else to consider: your complaining customers are an excellent source of feedback! If you hear repeatedly that your packages are arriving damaged, stop blaming it on the carrier and take a close look at your fulfilment procedure. Dissatisfied customers help you find problems and fix them.

Find something for every customer on the Bartercard network

At Bartercard Brisbane, we are genuinely grateful for our loyal customers. As the 80/20 Rule says 20% of your customers tend to be responsible for about 80% of your business. This presents an interesting and valuable truth for most operations, so knowing our different types of customers ensures customer loyalty.