Customer retention is important to all businesses, but if your business relies heavily on repeat sales it’s even more vital to your success. Does your business have a customer or client retention strategy? An effective retention program can help you increase your sales by over 25%.

Marketing research has found that your cost for finding and attracting a new customer or client is about six times more than the cost to keep an existing one.

This proves that there are sound, practical financial reasons why every business should implement a customer retention program. Here are eight things you can do to hang on to your current customers.

1. Treat your customers or clients like a guest in your home.

When guests visit your home you greet them right away. You say “hello” or “Hi there” And you don’t make them wait at your door. I’m sure some of you have walked into a retail store where you were ignored. A warm greeting in person or over the phone is a little thing that can mean a lot to your customers.

2. Remember to say please and thank you.

Be polite to all your customers, even the rare ones who are not polite to you. Simple courtesy can go a long way to keep your customers and clients returning to your business. Please and thank you are remarkable words for developing rapport and building customer loyalty.

3. A little touch can have a big positive impact

Physical touch is a strong form of communication. Remember to shake your customers hands. If you’re working in a retail position, place the change in your customer’s hands; don’t just toss it on the counter. A study with waiters in a restaurant found that servers who touched their patrons while giving change or a bill, received significantly bigger tips.

4. Under-promise, over deliver

You should always be looking for ways to add more value to your products and services without increasing the cost. Give your customers more than they expect. If you tell them their order will be ready in two weeks, complete it in one week and delivery it in person. Include a gift with your invoice; gift cards and gift certificates are a nice touch.

5. Tell them how you resolved their issues

No matter how hard we try, once in a while, we’ll get a customer who has a complain or a problem. My recommendation, don’t make excuses or place blame. Fix the problem promptly and tell your customers what you have done to solve their problem.

6. Take a long-term view of your business

Remember that a lost customer can mean hundreds, even thousands of dollars in future sales. Keep in mind the “life time value” of your customers and clients. When you are dealing with customer service issues, remember that research shows every upset customer will tell eleven other people about their experience with your business and those eleven will tell five more people.

7. Communicate regularly with your current customers

It’s been proven over and over again that staying in touch with your current customers is one of the best ways to encourage them to keep coming back to your business. Send them information about upcoming sales, new products, special promotions. Provide them with educational and informative information.

8. Make your customers or clients feel special

We all love it when people in our lives make us feel special. Your customers are no different. They want to feel like their business is valued and appreciated. Sincerely listening to their needs and desires can help you achieve this. Get to know your customers as people, not just a means to build your bank account.

All of your customers are some other company’s potential customers. This kind of customer focus attitude will go very far to help you hang on to your existing customers and increase your repeat sales.