Customer Ranking: How Do You Rank Your Customers?
We often pay attention to one of our best customers, or we sometimes take them for granted. Have you considered the impacts of customer ranking?
Ranking (see 5 KPI’s) seems like a great idea. It may cause us to pay attention to those transactions that seem more volatile. The customers with the highest ranks may be important, but are they more important than others?
Do You Know Your High Value Customers?
Ranking our customers does seem to have some value. Certainly, telling someone, “You’re our number-one customer” may have some value.
It may also cause him or her to ask for that special favor. Special favors aren’t really the challenge though.
The challenge with ranking our customers may come from the simple mistake of prioritizing how we view our level of service. The most basic value in determining the success of customer service is that the provider shouldn’t be the judge and the jury. Truly, the customer is the judge and jury.
Customer Ranking
Does the one-time small-purchase customer turn into your largest account? It may; it is certainly possible.
Have you considered the power of word of mouth? Do the customers who only purchase once in a while have larger connections socially? They may.
On the other hand, do the customers who buy less, say little, and seem to do nothing matter less? It is doubtful, and this might prove to be the slipperiest of all slopes.
Every customer counts; every customer matters. Some do more business, and some do less. If you make the decision to play only with your favorites, you may be missing out.
Your best customers may be the ones who say less to you but tell everyone of their happiness in your business transactions. They may not throw their weight around by asking for special deals or expecting big bonus programs. Most importantly, they may not ask you to bend the rules because they are the best.
Rank Matters
How do you manage customer ranking? Are those with the largest sales, the ones who are the most profitable or have the most transactions, the best? They are all important, but being popular may not mean they are the best.
Remember that the most important rank may be the rank that the customers give to their vendor.
Be very careful how you rank.
– DEG
Understanding more about how we measure, engage, and transform the customer experience is exactly why I wrote this book:
Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSPTM), and culture expert. He is a five-time author and the founder of Appreciative Strategies, LLC. His business focuses on positive human performance improvement solutions through Appreciative Strategies®. Reach him through his website at Dennis-Gilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.
This article was originally published on June 5, 2017, last updated on December 10, 2019.
