Loyalty is what keeps you in business. Without the loyalty of your employees as well as your customers your business won’t succeed. There are many things you can do to improve loyalty, but first you need to understand the relationship between internal and external loyalty.
Internal Customer Loyalty
Your internal customers are exactly that – internal. These are your employees who keep your store running; gaining their loyalty is necessary for the success of your business. The spotlight often shines on what to do to improve your external customer loyalty, but it’s important to not forget about your internal customers. They interact with external customers every day, making their loyalty to your business equally important.
External Customer Loyalty
External customers are the customers who purchase your products and services, and your goal is to capture their loyalty and keep them coming back. External customer loyalty is built through service – customers who have positive interactions with your business and employees are much more likely to return and recommend your business to their friends.
The Internal/External Connection
There is a direct correlation between your internal customers and your external customers – and that connection begins with you.
If external customer loyalty is built through service, then it’s your job to ensure that your employees are providing great customer service. Happy, loyal employees are much more likely to provide a customer with a positive guest experience than employees who feel underappreciated – and the cost of bad service can mean more than losing just that single customer.
How can you create happy, loyal employees? Here are a few tips:
- Be a good leader – A good leader is often a coach rather than a boss, and fosters relationships built on respect and open communication.
- Be loyal – You must demonstrate loyalty and trust in your employees before you can expect to receive it in return.
- Engage employees – When employees feel like they have a purpose and some ownership in their jobs, they will feel more loyal to you and your business.
- Train employees – Ensuring your employees know how to do their jobs well will increase their confidence and performance. Providing effective convenience store training also shows you’re willing to invest in your employees and their futures – which will improve customer service and employee retention. . .
Get More Convenience Store Management Tips
For more ideas on improving internal and external customer loyalty and other management tips, visit the convenience store management section of our article archives.
