Are you loyal to a brand or going along with it because you don’t have another option?
This thought came to me when I had a bad experience with an online grocery provider. I had been buying vegetables and fruits from them almost every week for the last three years. One major goof-up and a patchy half-hearted apology from the company was enough for me to principally end my relationship with them. But two weeks later, I was back ordering from the same place. The rationale I gave my husband was that my account with them had some money that I had to exhaust before severing ties. But part of me felt it was an excuse to get back to the familiar screen and easy ordering experience. After all, was I not a loyal customer?
No. You are a lazy customer, my husband countered. The more I listened to him, the more I was convinced that he was perhaps right. (As much as I hate to admit, one can’t win all arguments!) I have listed five scenarios that companies (and individuals) can use to help identify if their customers (or they) are loyal or plain lazy.
1) Buying the Same Set of Items All the Time
This type of customer traditionally buys only say three products from the company, even though he/she has the need for more products. For some reason he/she isn’t buying from you despite your constant “awareness creation” methods. In my case, the grocery store expanded majorly in the three years I was buying products from them.
Yet, I continued to buy only essential groceries. For snacks and a few other items, I preferred a brick and mortar store even though the online store was offering me a great range of products to choose from. What’s my rationale? The small trip I make for snacks is perhaps my only leisurely trip out of the house that month. If I buy snacks online, when do I get to check out the local market and have some ‘me time’? Absurd? Yes, but that’s customer psyche which no feedback form can reveal.
2) Not Filling the Feedback Form
Isn’t it evident that the person doesn’t care? Sharing feedback is a chore for most of us. Even those like me who look forward to such forms, cannot stand badly structured forms. A car manufacturer has a form where ratings 1-7 are to indicate ‘poor performance’, 8 means good, 9 means very good and 10 means excellent. A form like this automatically creates a lazy customer because no one can really understand the difference between the options.
3) Not Seizing Special Offers
I don’t mean a 5 rupee discount on a kilo of potatoes. What I am referring to is new product launches, exclusive collections and additional loyalty bonus on certain items on sale. If you don’t seize any of these offers (just like me), then you are plain lazy. One may argue that these products are either not necessary (like diapers for a couple that has no children) or over-priced (like Rs 200 for a 50 g bottle of organic honey) or of perceived poor quality (“I’ve never heard of this brand” rant).
4) Not Being Price Sensitive
In the last one year, the price of Pril dishwashing liquid has gone by up by nearly Rs 25 for a 750 ml pack. I was irritated but didn’t bother changing to another brand because of two reasons.
The other brands offer no visible improvement in performance and are priced similarly. It would be too much of an effort to switch brands. (It’s the same argument we tend to use when we put up with domestic helpers who do a shoddy job with cooking or cleaning. There is inertia (read laziness) in looking for replacements).
In reality, change is good. Even if you discover that the competitor’s product was a dud, you will end up having a better understanding of your own needs and how best you can use the products available. For all you know, you may use two products for dishwashing – one for tougher stains and another for regular wash.
5) Not Having a Conversation
Thanks to Tata Sky (‘Poochne mein kya jaata hain?” campaign) and Airtel (‘Baat karne se hi baat banti hai’ campaign) we all know that conversations can solve problems in life. Yet, many of us do not engage in conversations with the companies we buy from.
Just because you shopped for a certain amount or for a certain duration doesn’t make you a loyal customer. Ask what the company can do for you (and vice versa). If they can’t do anything (and vice versa), then your relationship is likely to be based on laziness.
My husband asked me why the online grocery store couldn’t credit money back to my savings account instead of keeping it with them effectively and forcing me to shop with them? I guess, I am too lazy to ask them.
Loyalty is a badge that companies are increasingly selling to gullible customers if they shop for a certain amount of money or for a certain duration of time. Compare this to a scenario in your personal life where you may spend the most on partying. Does that make you the most loyal of all friends in your group? Maybe not.
Increasingly, most customers are being retained on their inertia, not necessarily brand promise. Brand loyalty is about trust. Trust is built through experiences and conversations. Passive and lazy people often don’t converse.
So, what kind of a customer are you? Lazy or loyal?
(The writer is a marketing leader and is passionate about listening to the customer. This is a personal blog and the views expressed above are the author’s own. The Quint neither endorses nor is responsible for the same.)