The opinions expressed by the entrepreneurial contributors are their own.
Faith makes you an opportunity to make a second mistake. I learned that it is working in the USAA, which is a financial services organization famous for its member loyalty. During a particularly isolated system outage, I called a member who had a bank with a USA for over 50 years to apologize. He said, “Don’t worry about it,” he said, “You guys are at the top of things normally, so it should be a difficult.
This experience got stuck with me – not because it transacted the loyal sound, but because it is deepened by something deep: the true loyalty is not about perfection, it is about belief. And the trust is made over time, accidentally makes a mistake. This is a lesson I have kept in business with me. After 20 years in the leadership rolls, and now as the CEO of the Boardroom, a national upscale men’s grooming salon, I believe the loyalty has not disappeared – but it has developed. Today’s customers, employees and partners are loyal because you earn that belief again and again. Here is described how you should contact that challenge.
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Experience, not close
There was a time when your dry cleaner, your bank – even your barber – earned his loyalty from being nearby only. Those days have gone.
Customers today have more options than ever before. What keeps coming back to them is a combination of feature, which you provide, and the relationship you create. In the boardroom, we realized that to make something permanent, we just had to be “good”. We had to be better than expected.
This means that passion on details – from hi to bye. We want every trip to feel more than a service – it will have to feel like an experience.
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People still have a heart of loyalty
As a society, we have adopted technology to streamline things. This includes client travel – but no app can repeat what happens when someone is actually seen. Your people should make those moments. For example, a stylist asks a customer about last week’s job interview. A member of a front desk team has noticed a regular notice that it is time-by-time and provides a streamlined service to bring them on its way. When a customer walks, a hot smile and the name greeting.
Initially, loyalty inside the business is as loyalty from outside. When your team is invested, your customers may feel it. One of our early team members, who helped open our first salon 20 years ago, is still with the company. His loyalty is not just a will for his commitment, it is a reflection of how his treatment, strong and value is given in every season of our development. And his stability has earned the loyalty of hundreds of customers in two decades. This is the compound interest of faith.
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Your promise does not change
I have to do bold moves in the history of my business, as many people – closing our office and going completely remote, expanding through M&A and franchising, and introducing new techniques. Change is part of development.
But through those changes, it is important that your promise does not change. For us, it always leads to men to relax, look great, and by providing better experiences than expected and treating them makes them feel confident. This mission has been rock solid, even methods develop.
And it is working. Our existing customer retention has increased by 6 percent in the last one year – and we are still improving.
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Authenticity is future
We are entering an era where the technology can follow the connection. Companies are spending billions to deepen this synthetic familiarity – but in doing so, they are reducing confidence. I get automated emails every day that injects my name, my title, my professional history – even my love of Red Sox – and they always feel a little bit. Long -term winning leaders and companies will be of people investing in authentic relations. Those who earn their reputation through continuity are not clever. Through appearance, not programming.
The loyalty is not near life, this is a daily effort. This is made when people see you their best and worst – and you show them in any way. I have been lucky to work with customers, colleagues and colleagues who have given me the opportunity to make a second mistake. My goal is to count every one, because when loyalty is earned, it ends.
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