Simple ways to build guest loyalty

Building Guest Loyalty

Building guest loyalty can be as easy as one, two, three if we focus on what matters. My son Maddox brings us wisdom on this profound subject that lies at the foundation of any successful business. Anyone who has spent any time with Maddox would agree that he marches to the beat of his own drum. What I used to perceive as challenging, I now see as the key to unlocking the greatest asset of all—relationship.

Maddox can be the most loving little boy one minute and in the next, want nothing to do with you. Does this remind you of the state of our society today? We post on social media and receive 500 likes, get a high and follow it up with a post that gets little to no response. Experts will tell you that you there’s a specific formula you should follow to gain followers and likes on social media, but I’m seeing things from a different perspective. I think that it’s time to look to our children, like Maddox. When we do so, we will find that all of the strategies in the world will pale in comparison to true genuine relationship. When we combine the expertise of marketing and apply it to relationships as the foundation we can start a fire that cannot be contained! Here are three simple steps to help build guest loyalty that I learned from Maddox.

1. Make It About Them

Take an interest in what people are passionate about. Every time that I try to get Maddox to do something that is out of his wheelhouse, he shows very little interest. He wants to play! And when I mean play he wants me to be Ultron and he is Ironman. As we shoot laser rays at each other, he always wins because he makes the rules. When I engage in what he loves, it is so easy to have him power up his Ironman suit with vegetables. I believe that at the core of any kind of loyalty we must lay the foundation that we are truly invested in the other person’s interests. Simply ask questions and show up. This could mean attending your guest’s child’s soccer game or book club. Remember this must come from the heart. Maddox knows when I am not engaged and will shut off, although when I am present, he will do whatever I need him to do.

2. It’s All in the Details

This year at Christmas we watched Jingle all the Way with Arnold Schwarzenegger and my son fell in love with TurboMan. That is all he wanted for Christmas. The challenge is that the movie came out in 1996 and TurboMan is not for sale anymore. I scoured the Internet and found a brand new in-the-box TurboMan that had never been touched! What is your guest’s “TurboMan”? Maybe it’s coffee with two creams and one sugar, being introduced to everyone in the salon as the guy responsible for your business or simply that Frank Sinatra is playing during their visit. Whenever our guests have a desire and we fulfill it without them having to ask for it, we create loyalty. Create a profile on each guest and expand on it each visit. The little details can make all the difference.

3. Become Their Fan

This one is simple and to the point. Everyone wants to be the center of someone’s world. Be a fan of your guests and you will unlock exponential growth! Follow and comment on their social posts, send cards and flowers to their work and constantly thank them for allowing you to take care of them.

Guest loyalty can be as easy as one, two, three if we key in to Maddox’s wisdom; make it about them, pay attention to the details and become their fan. In an age where we are inundated with ads, clever marketing and rewards systems, I believe that lasting business will come from a foundation of genuine relationships on which all else will flourish. 

Maddox’s loyalty comes with value far greater than anything I could ever purchase. Our relationship is built, much like yours with your guests, on the ability to truly be present and engaged.