Repeat customers can make or break a business.

Acquiring a customer from scratch costs money in numerous ways — time, marketing and sometimes introductory discounts — and the cost per customer acquisition can vary tremendously based on your company.

Repeat customers forego all these additional costs and are thus far more valuable.

Don’t Get Complacent

When we see an old friend from time to time, we often feel relaxed and friendly around them. This is perfectly normal, but it’s not the best of ideas when you’re around a client. Never lower your quality of service simply because you’ve seen a client before, regardless of how familiar they have become.

Remember Them

Little details matter a lot about a person — provided that you can get them right. Don’t forget to ask about their children or their spouse, and show them that you are genuinely interested in them. After all, that’s the entire reason customers prefer having a relationship with a single company.

Treat Them to Something

Small, negligible discounts or add-ons can make all the difference in the world to a repeat customer. Let your repeat customer know that you’re giving them a break on something and it will prove your value to them — they’ll be far less likely to consider looking at another company.

Don’t Rush Them

Repeat customers may get more comfortable with you — and that’s a good thing. However, it does mean that they might call you for advice from time to time or expect that you’ll do something extra for them. Within reason, assenting to their requests is part of having a good repeat customer relationship.

The Keys to Repeat Customer Success

1. Show your customers that they have value to you by providing discounts or additional service.

2. Remember things about your customers to show that you care about your relationship with them.

3. Value your customer acquisition costs, so that you understand how much repeat customers save you.

Always remember how much a repeat customer saves you as compared to a customer that you have to procure. Repeat customers should be given premium levels of service for this reason — a few minutes of talking to them and understanding their issues is far less than the time it would take to pitch to a new client.