FLOOR ED
Don’t Kid Yourself, Customer
Loyalty Doesn’t Have to be
A Thing of the Past
Y
Lisbeth Calandrino
An industry veteran, Lis
Calandrino has more than
50 years in the flooring
industry. She has worked
at all levels of the industry,
from retail to manufacturing.
She has served as business
coach, trainer and keynote
speaker. She is also a con-
sultant, writer and blogger.
Lis provides top notch
training in the areas
of customer service,
sales, change, building
ou’ve given the customer a great shopping experience, and now you’re at a loss.
What should I do next? Despite the fact, we know it costs “ten times more to get
a new customer than keep an old one,” most businesses still focus on the “chase.”
You know what you have to do. Unfortunately, like many companies, you’re not
doing anything. You’re relying on the customer to remember you.
Our statistics tell us that after three months out of your store, the customer doesn’t
know where they shopped or the salesperson’s name. If you’re relying upon their mem-
ory, you’ve got a problem. Have you ever been in a store, about to write a check and had
to ask the salesperson for the name of the store?
When will your customer need you again?
I know when they’ll need you; they’ll need you when they’re ready!
Your job is to be there when they’re ready. The only way this will happen is if you
consistently stay in touch, so they can find you at the right time. If you don’t do this, you
are leaving your business to chance. That means that a more aggressive company may be
around to entice your company at the right time.
Don’t leave your business strategy to “mind reading.” Mind reading is an “iffy” sci-
ence. Every industry has statistics on when customers buy again; there are many factors
that come into play. As we’ve often heard, timing is everything, but whose timing? Sure
when the fall comes, people clean out their junk, have tag sales and look for ways to make
the winter more bearable. However, this isn’t a science either.
competitive advantage,
using social media to build
your business, creating the
customer experience, and
building the customer’s
“According to Greg Incardona, Vice President of followyourcustomer, a customer relation-
ship marketing tool, (CRM), “The only logical way to get someone to think of you when the
time is right, is to make sure they think of you whenever it’s appropriate. They need to be
constantly aware you exist.”
“moment of truth.”
20 Premier Flooring Retailer | Q3 2017