Creating customer loyalty requires that you first have great internal experiences.  That’s right, customer loyalty first starts with creating employee loyalty.

Here are a few ways you can earn your employee’s loyalty by helping them to feel fulfilled in their jobs:

• Give them opportunities to learn and grow,
• Give them the autonomy to make good decisions within the values of your organization
• Give them recognition and rewards for their exceptional achievement.

Employee loyalty cannot be just a once a year program.  You have to be LOYAL about creating loyalty. This means recognizing and engaging your employees at every touch point.   Remember, every person in your organization can and does impact the customer experience and thus, customer loyalty.

Once you have earned your employee’s loyalty, next comes earning your customer’s loyalty.
At every touch point with your organization your customers judge the experience on three levels:

1. How well you meet or exceed their expectations,
2. How fast and flexible you are to do business with,
3. How enjoyable you are to do business with.

A key to earning your customer’s trust, is delivering consistent and memorable service.  When you deliver consistent service, it will give your customers the confidence that they will receive the same or better level of service, and so begins the journey of trust with you and your organization.

To earn your customer’s trust, you must be sure to be honest and open with them.  Tell the truth, even when you must admit you are wrong.  Honesty builds trust and leads to loyalty.

The difference between a company’s success and failure is almost always driven by customer loyalty. When you create loyalty with your customers it will make them stay longer, buy more, and positively refer others to buy from you.  It is far less expensive to keep your existing customers than to acquire new ones.  So be sure to focus on delighting your existing customers, and I promise, your loyal customers will grow.

To delight your existing customers, make sure that you honor your commitments, and make a personal commitment to owning your customer’s outcome.  That is why employee loyalty is a critical first step in building customer loyalty.  When your employees are loyal and committed to your organization, they will feel a personal commitment to assuring their customer is taken care of.  For more information on how to build loyal employees first, check out How to Keep Your Employees and Attract New Ones.