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I take my car in for service and walk into an auto showroom. "Unique" and Dangerous.
I have last years model, I MUST HAVE this years.
A marketing strategy is most effective when it is an integral component
of corporate strategy, defining how the organization will successfully
engage customers, in the market arena. It is
partially derived from broader corporate strategies, missions, and goals. As the customer constitutes
the source of a company's revenue, marketing strategy is closely linked
with sales.
I could write a book on being a loyal customer, UNTIL
LUCKIEST

It's all about the "Golden Rule" and being treated like an individual.

I am a marketing mentor to small business owners and my clients know that I care. They know I go the extra mile for them. And, they know the marketing strategies I come up with to help their businesses are individual and there is nothing cookie cutter about them.

Now - about me as a customer. Again, I go to places where I'm treated like a person. When I go to Starbucks and they know my name and the way I like my morning brew - I want to go back. When there is a problem and a business owner wants to make it right - rather than make excuses - I want to go back. I used to go to a dry cleaning business. I spent a lot of money with them - in cleaning and alterations. Then they screwed up on three items. Instead of saying, "Gosh we're sorry - we want to make it right" they made excuses. Not good. I got them to fix the problem after having to gripe about it, but I never went back. Now they are out of business. So, they probably did that with a lot of people.

The challenge with marketing on the basis of great customer service - is that people have a hard time seeing it and "feeling" it in an advertising appeal at the level of mom and pop consumers - until they are without it. So that means one of the challenges in a marketing strategy is really defining what great customer service IS and not just assuming that everyone knows what it is.

After all, the biggest retailer in the US is Wal-Mart and their customer service sucks eggs. A lot of people just want those cheap prices. However, I've found then they are all bent out of shape when they discover that great customer service doesn't go hand in hand with "The Low Price - Always!" Same with Best Buy, IMHO. But that's not the only reason why I won't do business with Wal-Mart. I also won't do business with Wal-Mart because for a myriad of reasons I don't believe they are good for America in the long run. But I digress...

Oh, I also have four grandchildren and I won't be shopping at Toys-R-Us either for the holidays. Any of those big box stores that carry or carried the brands like Mattel and Hasbro that have been recalled due to lead paint problems with manufacturers in China - I consider them to be lousy corporate citizens and I won't shop there. I know I probably won't be able to find products made domestically (wish I could) but hopefully they aren't manufacturers that don't care about product safety because they're being shipped halfway around the world to children in the US.

Tough? Yes. But they're my grandkids. And I won't buy anything or support any business that is willing to jeopardize my health or the health of those I love.

All the best,

Denise Michaels
Author, "Testosterone-Free Marketing"

PS: Visit me online at http://www.mentoringwithdenise.com

If you really think about anybody's buying habits including your own (try this next time you are shopping) you will realize that we never buy any product or service for what they are --- we buy solutions to our challenges. In order to get so called "loyalty"is simple --- keep offering solutions to masses of people and you will never have to worry about competition or loyalty for that matter.

People buy solutions, not a product or service. Their bying is based on emotion and is justified by logic. Try it next time with your spouse when new unexpected item is brought home. Investigate why. Price of the item or service becomes irrelevant if solution is urgent enough --- "My kingdom for a horse!"

Now you know why I am a loyal customer.

Respectfully yours

I believe most products and services have been commoditized, so most of my purchases are generally price driven.

The only areas where I tend to stay loyal are the ones that are VITAL to my business - i.e. ability to generate money. For me (I am a stock trader) it's a powerful computer, a fast Internet connection, and a robust trading platform. As long as I am getting good value for my money AND problems are taken care of fast - I will stay put. Everything else is replacable/dispensable.

Great question, Ed. I have a slightly different take on loyalty. Loyalty does not, in my humble opinion, translate into customer advocacy, which is what many of us are alluding to when we say loyalty. I am loyal to the grocery store that is nearby simply because it is nearby. If I were to move, I would most likely frequent the one that was closest ... at least until they did something to really tick me off.

However, I am a cheerleader for many companies I choose to do business with because they provide me with a product, service, and/or experience that is meaningful to me. As a result, they not only get my business and loyalty, but they also get the word-of-mouth advertising that I spread around.

Unlike the Golden Rule idea that states that you should treat others as you would like to be treated, I believe in what a friend termed as the Platinum Rule that states you should treat others as THEY each would like to be treated. Unfortunately, most companies do not attempt to do this because it requires that they leave the comfort of their hard and fast policies and procedures. But those that can find a way to work within their business model and offer individual service based on the individual's wants, needs, and desires have a special opportunity -- one that spreads and attracts more and more profitable customers.