Techniques for Building Relationships with Customers

There are many techniques for building relationships with customers. One in particular would be to learn the names of your regular customers if you have any or thank them by using their last name if they use a credit card for purchases. By remembering their names it makes the customers feel appreciated and in turn their experience will be shared with their friends and relatives. Not only increasing your bottom line but, also keeping loyal customers coming to your store. This also secures your position in the company because without your customers, you would not have a job. Another would be to treat the customers the way you would want to be treated (Waters, 2013). Ask them if there is anything you can do to help them, sometimes customers cannot find something and you can assist them in finding their product. If you give them your attention and show them that you are there to help them, the customer’s will be more inclined to ask you questions because they will feel comfortable enough to ask. Some employees won’t even acknowledge you are there and will avoid you at all costs. If they see you looking lost and looking for help, they disappear and you never see anyone except the cashiers. They would probably run to if they could. So giving customers your attention or when you cannot help them right away, you should acknowledge them and let them know you will be with them as soon as possible.
You can also use suggestive selling in a grocery store setting. You can suggest a product to go along with say, lasagna that you see in the customer’s grocery cart. You can suggest garlic bread that is on sale in the freezer section. That shows the customer that you care enough to go out of your way to help them. They may have forgotten the garlic bread and you helped them remember so now they don’t have to come back to the store later that day. You saved them a trip and the customer will really appreciate you for that.

References
Waters, S. (2013). How to Build Customer

References: Waters, S. (2013). How to Build Customer Loyalty. Retrieved from http://retail.about.com/od/customerservice/a/customer-loyalty.htm