Care for your customers during the holiday shopping season, and they will remember it for a long time to come. Guarantee an enjoyable, streamlined process for holiday shopping and online holiday shopping. Build satisfaction and create ongoing relationships for after Christmas shopping, after holiday shopping online, and repeat business the whole year through. Whether you’re a small business or large corporation, the same Christmas shopping tips, holiday shopping tips, and customer service responses still apply. Follow these three essential rules to turn first-time shoppers into repeat customers during the holiday shopping season.
Customer Service
Want to know how to get new customers to come back when shopping for Christmas and other holidays? There is nothing like unbeatable customer service to turn a first time customer into a returning customer. When a company provides friendly and helpful customer service, it’s noticeable. When a company goes above and beyond from its customers, it’s remembered, and will help to assure returning customers and repeat customers. Holiday shopping in stores and holiday shopping online can both be stressful, make it easier for your new customers and existing customers by assisting with online Christmas shopping or holiday shopping online, deliveries, and in-store purchases to ensure repeated business.
Make sure that your customer service team is knowledgeable and well-equipped to handle any issues if they arise during in-store holiday shopping or Christmas shopping online. When faced with a customer issue, be reassuring. If you are partially responsible for the mishap, offer some type of reparation that goes beyond simply rectifying the mistake. Provide a holiday discount, free expedited delivery, or a gift of some kind like calendar magnets, a tote bag, coffee mug, or something else that applies to your business. Plan for frequently asked questions and answers and create customer service scripts for your team to respond quickly.
Try to find common ground with each customer; be expedient, but conversational and warm.
Discounts & Gifts
This is the holiday shopping season; customers are creating a holiday shopping list for each shopping holiday like Thanksgiving, Christmas shopping season, Hanukkah, New Year’s, and more. They are also looking for the best holiday and Christmas shopping bargains while creating an in-store holiday shopping list or online Christmas shopping list.
Set aside an additional budget and make subtle adjustments to your pricing structure if necessary to accommodate holiday shopping sales, gift-giving, holiday card sending, discounts, and holiday promos during the holiday shopping season. Try to offer the best Christmas shopping deals and best holiday shopping deals you can without breaking the bank, because there is a lot of competition out there. When it comes to establishing a repeat customer, follow the golden rule of treat others the way that you want to be treated during the holiday shopping season. Offering online Christmas shopping deals or holiday shopping deals in your brick-and-mortar store, gifts, and savings are important, so ensure that you can do these things without negatively impacting your return on investment and revenue for the year.
Loyalty cards are another way of establishing repeat customers during the holiday shopping season and throughout the year. A loyalty card or punch cards give first-time customers another reason to come back. Loyalty cards help to keep track of in-store purchases; once customers reach a set number of purchases or service visits, then they receive a reward.
You can also offer discounts on a case-by-case basis. If you feel a customer is invested in your products and services and has done well by you, do well by them by offering something extra. If you think a customer is going to take their business elsewhere without an offered discount, gauge what it will take to ensure their continued business and decide if it’s worth it. Sometimes, customers are unhappy no matter what you do.
Customers also appreciate last minute Christmas shopping tips from companies who can offer Christmas Eve shopping deals and more when there are still gifts to be bought the day of and even the day after a holiday. Day after Christmas shopping and holiday shopping is still a major time to purchase and exchange goods and services; take note of this, and keep in mind what you can still offer to your customers to provide the best after Christmas shopping and post-holiday deals.
Reaching Out, Building Rapport, & Advertising
Be genuine when reaching out to customers during the holiday shopping season. Direct mail has a more personal feel to it, but there is nothing wrong with a digital correspondence, especially when done in conjunction with holiday mailers. Send Christmas cards or holiday cards on behalf of your company; include a heartfelt message, signatures from your team members, your company logo, and even photographs.
Utilize email marketing with helpful tips for holiday shoppers; include discounts if you can, and a compelling message from your company. Check in on customers with a phone call. Start to build relationships through your correspondences; in-person, direct mail, and digital means of communication.
Continue to reach out to first-time shoppers and returning customers, check in on them from time to time, but do this at appropriate intervals; you don’t want to be overbearing. Utilize social media accounts to interact with customers. Create a monthly newsletter or e-newsletter that your customers will enjoy. Update your website frequently with eye-catching promos, messaging, and more. Retargeting ads also help to give consistent reminders to holiday shoppers for your goods and services.
The cost to acquire a customer can be 5 times greater than keeping an existing customer. Large companies, small businesses, and non-profits will all benefit from an effort-forward approach to establishing meaningful relationships with their recurring customers that could last a lifetime. A current customer always has the freedom to go elsewhere if your business is no longer providing the goods and services they desire in the manner in which they are accustomed. Make sure your company is always offering something special to each return customer that stands out from your competition.
For more ways to turn first-time shoppers into repeat customers, go to 123Print.com.