Five strategies to get repeat business from customers (and clients)

The pandemic changed many things in business, not least relationships with customers, clients and service users who had a chance to reflect and reevaluate what was important to them.

For example, Professor Moira Clark, director of the Henley Centre for Customer Management, says it’s becoming increasingly difficult for companies to create repeat customers out of first-time purchasers because those purchasers are increasingly savvy and less willing to put up with the poor service they get from many companies. “We’ve also seen an exponential rise in online shopping and browsing which means that customers can easily compare what else is available on the market and can make more informed choices,” she says. 

• Talk like a customer to unlock your team’s best efforts 

“They see when they are being taken for granted and can read reviews from other customers which means they can vote with their feet – basically, customers are becoming more promiscuous and discerning and no longer necessarily trust what companies are telling them.”

So how can organisations become more customer-centric, and build longer lasting-relationships, in-person and online?