Two weeks ago I wrote about how gaining customer loyalty should be the primary goal of every retailer. In addition I highlighted several ways to boost your own customer loyalty for the purpose of increasing business revenue. Notably missing from that list of strategies was the execution of a customer “loyalty program”. One of the reasons that I did not include this option is because “Loyalty programs” are based less on customer loyalty and more on giving customers incentives to continue doing business with your store. These incentives can be either monetary, in the form of store credit and discounts, or giving away physical product, such as coffee and sandwiches. Customers participate in these programs not because they feel loyal toward your store, but instead because they will gain something by spending money with your store. Because these programs do not foster true customer loyalty I believe that a better description, or rather title, for these types of programs should instead be “Customer Rewards Programs”.
Read more