customer service
What ’ s not to love about a customer loyalty program ? It costs business owners very little time and money , and customers enjoy earning points , products or discounts . The beauty of it is that when you give something to your customers , you get something too — their continued business . It ’ s truly a win-win !
During a slow selling season , a loyalty rewards program is an easy way to entice your known customers to walk through your doors again . Research indicates that customers who are part of a loyalty program make more purchases . After all , the more often they purchase , the sooner they ’ ll be reaping the rewards .
When you give something to your customers , you get something too
In the Christian retail industry , one of the most common customer loyalty programs is the 6-Box Program . This simple program , endorsed by Bob Negen of WhizBang ! Retail Training , works by using an index card with the customer ’ s name at the top and six boxes drawn or printed on it . When the customer makes a purchase in your store , the amount gets written in one of the boxes . Once each box is filled ( i . e ., after six purchases ), the customer receives a store credit for 10 % of the total purchases on their card . The only costs are the paper and storage for the cards and the applied discount .
The style of the cards , storing of the cards and percentage of store credit are completely up to the retailer . But there are other ways to customize your program . The following are types of programs that other retailers have created .
POINTS
If you collect stars from Starbucks , you ’ re familiar with a points-based system . Customers can earn points based on the dollar amount spent at your store . For example , one dollar could equal one point . Therefore , the more money they spend , the more points they earn . Create double points shopping days to encourage customers during slower seasons . And you could use points to incentivize customers in other ways as well , such as earning points for sharing a post or subscribing to your mailing list . The number of points needed to redeem for a reward and the type of reward are up to you .
As a Hallmark affiliated store , owner Karen Welch of New Life Christian Bookstore in Murray , KY , uses a points program with Hallmark . When customers give their phone number ( or customer card ), they can receive points for purchases made within the store . Hallmark then sends discount coupons to them which can be redeemed toward Hallmark products in the store . continued on page 10 >>
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