FOLLOW THESE RULES OF THUMB
Bill Middlebrooks, president of Excellence In Action, a customer loyalty training company in Southfield, says that perception is everything in the retail business.

“It’s all about attitude,” he says. “Your customers must have the perception that you are trying your best to accommodate them. When people spend their hard-earned cash, they want to know that you appreciate it.”

Middlebrooks says there are five essential characteristics involved in building and maintaining customer loyalty:

• Reliability. “Do you do what you say you are going to do? Do you do it right the first time? How do your clients view you as an organization? It goes back to perception. If you make a promise to a customer and can’t deliver on that promise, the customer will never forget it.”
• Responsiveness. “To what degree do you respond to your customers’ needs? Are you prompt and courteous? This is a basic rule of thumb when it comes to customer service, but you’d be surprised at how many times it’s ignored.”
• Tangibles. “This has to do with things like the physical appearance of the store, the staff and the merchandise,” says Middlebrooks. “These things must project an image of quality and high class.”
• Assurance. “Clients must have faith in your organization. They must have the feeling that you know what you’re talking about when they ask you a question. If you’re selling a product or a service, it’s your job to know what you’re talking about.”
• Empathy. “This is the degree to which your customers feel you care about them and their problems.”