How to Keep Customers For Life
40 Construction Equipment Distribution www.cedmag.com October 2009 For as long as I can remember, my father has driven a Cadillac, so you can understand my shock when I pulled into his driveway and saw a gleaming new Lexus. My father explained that, while he still thought Cadillacs were great cars, he was convinced to buy the Lexus because of the experience a close friend had with the dealership no high pres-sure sales, always a loaner car when his was in for service and free car washes for life! His friend raved about how well he had been treated, not to mention how well his car drives. So my father a man who has driven the same brand of car since JFK was in office decided to check it out. He ultimately switched, not because he was dissatisfied with Cadillac, but rather because he wanted to experi-ence the acclaimed Lexus culture. As a leader in the equipment industry, you surely understand the importance of quality customer service and probably do a good job of satisfy-ing your customers. And you know that loyal customers are likely to return more often, spend more money and tell their friends about you. However, new customer behavior research proves that customers who are merely satis-fied aren't particularly loyal. A survey from the Harvard Business Review found that up to 80 percent of ex-customers reported being satisfied with a company they left. So, if satisfied customers are likely to leave when a more convenient, affordable or just different option presents itself, what more can you do to keep them? The answer, according to Customer Experience Management (CEM) thought leaders, is to look past product, price and location to focus completely on creating emotional experiences at every customer touchpoint. CEM focuses on qualitative components the emotional responses of a customer. Study after study has shown that humans are driven by emotion, not reason. Accord-ing to Neurologist Donald Cayne, Reason may lead to conclusions, but emotion leads to action. Giving every customer a legendary experience certainly isn't new for many dealerships, especially those that have been in business for decades. Often family-owned dealerships start with a solid, customer-centric philosophy, which is then shared through the generations. But just because a customer has worked with you for years, doesn't mean he always will, especially as the economy struggles and all expenditures are scrutinized. Customers want total value and take more than price into consideration. Obviously, all companies strive to provide satisfaction and pleasure very powerful emotional ideas. But managing the customer experience so every single customer loves every single aspect of your business requires more than ideas. It requires a unique How to Keep Customers For Life Train employees to build and reinforce customer relationships at every touchpoint, no exceptions. By barry hImmel Customer Service