In 1999 we discovered that out of 8,000 new clients, 535 of them did not give us their addresses because we failed to ask them to fill out an information card. That doesn’t look too bad on the surface, because we got 93 percent of our new clients to fill out the card, but, out of the 535 clients whodidn’t fill out an information card, only 197, or 37 percent, ever returned. Our retention rate among clients who do fill out a card is 70 percent—one of the highest in the industry.
One of the most important things to do in your Secret Service system is to make sure you gather your clients’ personal information. Without it, you cannot send a thank you card after the first visit. You cannot call to see if the first visit was everything the client anticipated. You cannot send a birthday card with an invitation to come in and pick up a birthday present. You cannot send newsletters to inform the client of everything going on at your business. You cannot send out follow-up mailings and incentives to lure back those clients who have not returned after several months.
Having a dedicated greeter and hostess position enables a business to obtain vital client information in an efficient manner, which in turn increases your new-client retention. Dedicate someone to making sure the customer’s arrival is handled cheerfully and promptly. This is especially important at a place such as a doctor’s or dentist’s office, where the visit doesn’t carry the same kind of excitement that other places can create. This could help reduce stress and related anxiety about the client’s experiences.
At check-out, all new clients receive a new-client package, which includes a menu of services, the latest newsletter, a magnet, and a “How Did We Do?” card that asks them how their first experience went, what they liked best, and what they would like to change. How do we know who is a new client? Our computer system gives us pop-up notes identifying new clients, and their names are entered into our appointment book in a different color.
