SECTION 3 – Retaining customers – setting high standards, delivering value for money and a high-quality customer experience – continued
Apart from people who dislike horse riding as a sport/hobby and therefore do not want to ride, there are some simple ways of keeping your customers spending more time and money at your centre:
- Always sell to your customers by promoting all your activities. But only to the right customer sectors. There is no point in irritating customers by selling the wrong service to the wrong customer! Blanket selling is not welcome. Know your customers and don’t be put off selling to them – but sell the benefit to them. (Sell the sizzle, not the sausage!).
- Think about who your customer is? This may sound an odd thing to say but take a child customer – is it the child, or the parent that is the customer? It’s both.
- If the child does not enjoy their experience, whether livery, clinic, or tuition or both, they will tell mum or dad they don’t want to return. If mum or dad are not satisfied, they will not return, and they are the ones with money in their pocket.
- The riding customer and the billing customer is equally important. For adults its often the same person, but not always. Be aware who the main influence is and ensure you are engaging with the right ‘customer’.
- The only option is always to keep both happy. The customer always wants excellent service, knowledgeable staff, high quality facilities and be made to feel highly valued.
- The paying customer wants safe, clean and quality facilities, the ability to socialise, have access to drinks and snacks whilst the are waiting, have somewhere comfortable to sit and watch and/or work, be warm and dry.
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