How to Build We Relationships with Your Customers

Posted on: Wednesday, May 08, 2013

Just yesterday, PowerSportsBusiness.com reported that Harley-Davidson dealers received the highest 2013 Pied Piper Satisfaction Index (PSI) score from mystery shoppers.

In fact, more and more motorcycle dealers are investing time and money in building long-term customer relationships and precisely calculating the lifetime value of repeat customers. Motorcycle dealers who are among the top industry performers are the ones who carefully track customer data and engage in relationship marketing.

As described in popular customer service books, such as Exceptional Customer Service, Exceptional Profit and We, American companies are no longer striving to have satisfied customers. Instead, companies are investing time and money into providing exceptional customer service that converts their customers into brand apostles who spread the company's message within their social circle. Apostles are loyal customers who stay with companies for a long time and recruit others to do business with such companies. Loyal customers are the type of customers that all businesses, including motorcycle dealers, should be striving to have.

The best way to convert satisfied customers into loyal customers is to build We relationships with your customers. A We relationship develops when you and your customers have collaborative and mutually beneficial interactions. Your customers see you as their partner in certain aspects of their daily life and therefore not interchangeable with the competition. This type of relationship is not transactional. It is a long-term series of mutually rewarding experiences for all parties involved.

Below are three (3) important types of encounters that enable businesses to foster We relationships with customers:

1. Engagement in the moment. Genuine investment in getting to know your customer and figure out how your business can help him/her accomplish certain goals. This does not mean proactively selling products or services to your customers. It strictly focuses to figuring out what is unique about a particular customer and how you can cater to such uniqueness.

2. Conversation. Do not talk at your customers. Speak with your customers. Effective conversation requires a two-way exchange of information. Learn who your customers are and allow your customers to learn who you are, and how you can have a mutually rewarding relationship for many years to come.

3. Uniqueness. Do not require your employees to stick to transcripts when speaking with customers. Every conversation should be genuine and unique to each customer. This will let your customers know that they are special and that you care enough to take the time to genuinely get to know them. Treat each customer as a unique human being.

We hope that the above information encourages you to re-examine your customer service practices and give more attention to developing We relationships with your customer base. And, remember, you want loyal customers; not satisfied customers.

If you have any questions or would like more information about any of the concepts mentioned here, feel free to contact Mirela Setkic at mirela@chopperexchange.com.