Being in the service industry myself I know all too well how difficult it can be to satisfy every customer, every time.  When consumers are loyal to a company’s brand they are voting with their heart not just with their head. They feel strongly enough that the company will take care of them if something happens that they often will stay loyal to the brand even at a higher price. The consumer these days has a plethora of options at their disposal that it’s even more important than ever for companies to ensure to continue to focus on building brand loyalty each and every day. Studies show the total cost of securing a new customer is far more expensive than having a repeat customer so companies that build brand loyalty also often have an advantage to their bottom line.  Another advantage of brand loyalty is the consumer will usually be more than willing to give referrals to their friends and family which helps these companies continue to expand their customer base.

As a consumer though, it’s not which company will never make a mistake but rather how the company responds to the mistake that makes all the difference for me. I recently was in the position of needing to buy a new set of tires for my car and given how insanely expensive tires are these days, you can imagine that I did my due diligence on getting price quotes from different tire centers. Truth be told I have been a loyal Les Schwab for many years and in the back of my mind, I knew I would probably purchase from them this time. However, they are not the lowest cost so I wanted to keep them honest by checking out their competitors.  Even more importantly I have always had good service with Les Schwab and didn’t know what kind of service or lack thereof I may receive from their competitors.  I decided to go with my gut and go with brand that I have been loyal to over the years.

I received a competitive price and sat down in their waiting room to get some work done while I waited.  I was glad to see the serviceman approach me in anticipation of telling me my vehicle was all ready to go. However, instead what I heard was the following “I apologize Mr. Schneider we have a new employee working today and he accidentally put the wrong size tires on your car.  I will get “all hands on deck” and have it done for you in the next 20 minutes and again I am sorry about the mix up.”  As I was paying the cashier, he had heard about the little snafu and told me not to worry, he would take care of me.  It really wasn’t that big of an inconvenience as I was not running late but I appreciated the fact that he wanted to make sure I was completely satisfied and would return again.  He did just that by giving me an additional discount of $60 to make up for this error.  To be honest, I wasn’t sure what to expect but all I know is that not only did I feel satisfied but I realized that I received another confirmation of why I am loyal to the Les Schwab brand.

What are you doing today to build brand loyalty with your customers?

The next generation for the ever growing ecommerce business for many retailers is Mobile Business.  This is a dynamic segment as it allows companies to expand their brand and build customer loyalty by allowing their consumers to take them wherever they go. There is no better time for companies to launch a Mobile Business segment as the numbers of consumer Smart Phones are rapidly increasing.  In fact, we are at a place in the US where the number of cell phones is outnumbering the US population.  Just like when companies starting doing business online, there of course will be the naysayers who can’t believe consumers would buy certain products from their Smartphone, iPod, iPad or other device.  If there is ever a company that is use to these naysayers it would most likely be an online Jewelry company. Some old school consumers may have a hard time believing a person could buy a piece of Jewelry off the internet while not have the privilege of touching or holding it in an actual Jewelry store.  One such company has not only helped disintegrate those fears but has taking buying Jewelry to the next level through their Mobile Applications.  Click on the link below to find out more:

http://www.bluenile.com/mobile_applications.jsp

As the U.S. economy continues to remain soft, many companies have turned their focus on expanding globally. This is primarily due to the fact that off shore business is an untapped market for many companies.  According to Forester Research, 25% of U.S. web traffic comes from international shoppers, but the actual orders from these shoppers are only 4% of total U.S. web sales. Global expansion can often be a complex and challenging project for companies, which is why they focus on solidifying their domestic business first before they look to expand overseas.   Here are four key areas to think about as you focus on expanding globally and improving the off shore shopping experience for your customers:

Fully-landed cost for shoppers- This allows the off shore shopper to see the “total” cost—including retail price of the product, customs duties, local taxes and transportation charges—prior to submitting the order. It ensures a better customer experience and increases customer loyalty.

Purchasing in the consumers’ own currency- This also ensures a better customer experience as the company instead of the end consumer assumes the risk of currency exchange and the fraud risk.

Export and Import Regulatory Compliance- One of the complexities of Global business is dealing with Customs Compliance and all the rules and regulations that exist. The regulations change depending on what country you are exporting to as well as the type of products you are exporting. Companies normally outsource compliance to a 3rd party company or slowly build their own compliance department.

Global Returns Management- Something to think about is how you will handle return as it can be very costly when you return products back into the U.S? Again, there are some rules and regulations enforced by customs depending on the country and product being returned.