Creating Loyal Customers

Sometimes, you don’t have absolute control over coverage. But when you manage to get the right type, it can really help your business. Have you ever seen Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives on the Food Network? Host Guy Fieri goes around visiting various establishments that locals consider good places to eat. The places that get featured there get some terrific coverage, and their crowds reflect it.

There’s a local diner in San Diego – Studio Diner – that was highlighted on the show. Since we’d never been there (nor even knew it existed), we decided to check it out. And so did a bunch of other people. The wait staff told us that their clientele always jumps after the episode airs.

So while the eatery grew a loyal following by having consistently good food, being featured on the tv show exposed their business to a whole new set of potential customers. And that’s coverage that’s hard to pay for.

Of course, we can’t all get featured on a nationally televised show. But if you really try to create a loyal customer base and work hard to keep them happy and returning, you never know what unexpected exposure you may get. It could just be word of mouth marketing. Or newspaper and magazine coverage.

So think about this: what can you do to make your business so special, so remarkable, that your customers keep returning over and over. And what will make them so loyal that they’ll make sure other friends try your business as well? Have you put yourself in their shoes? What type of spectacular service can you offer? Are you prepared to do it? It will take some hard work and it won’t happen immediately. But I know if you think hard enough you can find a way to better serve your customers. What will it be?

image: drustar on Flickr