Marketing for Lawyers Strengthen client loyalty Eva Tomášková eva.tomaskova@law.muni.cz Question lDo you complain to the company if you do not satisfy? Why customers do not complain? lthey think that complain does not help them lit is difficult to complain lthey have the feeling that they put businessman to inconvenience lcompetitors offer more opportunities to solve their problem Disappointing experience lA single disappointing experience may not significantly reduce the strength of the business relationship if: lthe customer's overall perception of quality remains high, lswitching costs are high, lthere are few satisfactory alternatives, lif they are committed to the relationship, and lthere are bonds (contract, dependence, knowledge, technology etc.) keeping them in the relationship. 7 steps for customer satisfaction lPrefer Face-to-Face Dealings lcustomer finds easier to relate to and work with someone they've actually met in person, rather than a voice on the phone or someone typing into an email l lContact customers about news as soon as possible lIt is necessary to keeping customers informed and to respond to messages promptly l lBe Friendly and Approachable lkeep a clear head, respond to customers' wishes as best is it possible, and at all times is necessary remain polite l lHave a Clearly-Defined Customer Service Policy lclearly defined customer service policy is going to save a lot of time and effort in the long run l lAttention to Detail l(e.g. send a Happy Birthday email or card from a company) It shows the care about customers - the customers feel welcomed, wanted and valued l lAnticipate Customer's Needs lcustomer is heartily impressed, and remarks to his/her colleagues and friends l lHonour Promises lwhen somebody promise something, he/she should to deliver. The most common example here is project delivery dates Customer loyalty 1 lquality of a product or service leads to customer satisfaction, which leads to customer loyalty, which leads to profitability l lThe service quality model lcustomer satisfaction is first based on a recent experience of the product or service. lThis assessment depends on prior expectations of overall quality compared to the actual performance received. If the recent experience exceeds prior expectations, customer satisfaction is likely to be high. lCustomers are said to have a "zone of tolerance" corresponding to a range of service quality between "barely adequate" and "exceptional." Customer loyalty 2 lCustomer loyalty is determined by three factors: lrelationship strength (CRM) lperceived alternatives and lcritical episodes l lThreats: lthe customer moves away from the company's service area lthe customer no longer has a need for the company's products or services, lmore suitable alternative providers become available, lthe relationship strength has weakened, lthe company handles a critical episode poorly, lunexplainable change of price of the service provided 5 Ways to Build Customer Loyalty Rocklin Attorney Terry L. Gilbeau, The Law Offices of Terry L. Gilbeau lListen up lEven if you can’t meet their needs or don’t know the answer to their question, always listen. If they see you are actively listening they will know you care about them and value them as a customer. Simply listening to them has a big impact on loyalty. lProvide help lMost customers need help with something from time to time. This goes along with listening to them, but if you can, help them out with whatever it is that they need. They will always remember that you helped them, which shows you care. lLearn names lGet to know as many customers by name that you can, and then use the names. lGive something lWhether it’s a free product, service, a discount, or a customer appreciate day with free donuts, they will feel you care about them. lBe consistent lOne of the easiest ways to earn loyalty is to consistently give your customers what it is that they want. If they show up each week to buy a particular product and you stop carrying it, you may lose those customers. Advantage of customer loyalty lkeeping existing customers is less expensive than acquiring new ones: lThe cost of acquisition occurs only at the beginning of a relationship. lLong term customers tend to be less inclined to switch and tend to be less price sensitive. lLong term customers may initiate free word of mouth promotions. lIncreased customer satisfaction and loyalty makes the employees' jobs easier and more satisfying. Happy employees feed back into higher customer satisfaction. lWhy is it necessary to have satisfied customers? lHow is it possible to measure of customer satisfaction? lWhy customers do not complain? Conclusion