Customer retention forms one of the most important factors of organizational success. What are some of the strategies used to achieve this?

QUALITY OF CUSTOMER SERVICE AND ABOVE ALL UNDERSTANDING AND FORESEEING HIS FUTURE NEEDS ARE THE BASIC  POINTS WHICH HELP THE COMPANY IN CUSTOMER RETENTION PROGRAMME

Service with a difference should be the slogan for custmer retention. You have to stand out in a couple of things from the competitors, Most important factors are quatlity, price, delivry time and of course relationship management.

!.  Response time to customer issues = less than 12 hours.  Initial response should be Right After Receipt of Call/emal.

2.  Progress Update = With issues properly categorized according to its importance to the customer, customer has to be updated at appropriate intervals mandatorily.

3.  Critical issues to the customers will have to be treated as is:  CRITICAL, regardless of it being actually minor.  CSRs of the company have to be properly trained how to handle this, making the customers really feel important at every call and issue they raise.

4.  Resolution speed to any customer issue has to be set to the fastest achievable time.

• Hire right: regardless of the role, make sure your employees believe in your brand and what it stands for.
• Own the issues: make yourself a part of the solution and ensure you satisfy and upset customer.
• Empower your people: Let your team actively own the issues and give them the power to solve customer problems without having to ‘pass you onto the manager’.
• Don’t let it fester: The more time a customer sits in limbo, the worse the experience becomes. Fix problems quickly and find solutions fast.

Customer retention is so much a result of good customer service to the extent that even when the product is substandard, the manner in which the customer is treated determines so much the decision to stay with a particular service provider or leave for another.