4 Ways to Retain Customers in the Digital Age

Written by Chantel Kuli

Seamus, Jacqueline and I recently attended Canada Post’s annual event, Think Inside the Box: Age of Me. Held at The Carlu in Downtown Toronto, and attended by hundreds of marketers, mailers, and printers, Think Inside the Box is a massive day of learning. Speakers included executives from Microsoft Canada, Twitter Canada and PwC, and focused on major topics like artificial intelligence, customer behavioural insights and loyalty in “The Age of Me”. Here are a few of the takeaways we had about how to gain and retain customers in the digital age.

1) Be a Knowledge Leader in your field

Whether it is a conscious effort or not, customers are looking to companies to lead them using their experience and their expertise. They are looking to thought leaders and experts to answer their questions, and they will return to those companies who can succinctly answer questions and provide a painless experience. Consider implementing strategies like team meetings or group training sessions to make sure everyone on your team has a “united front” approach!

 At Troi Mailing Services, we are certified Smartmail Expert Partners, which means we are well-versed in Canada Post’s mailing policies and procedures. Between our front line and our production staff, we have over 100 years of combined experience with mail and have learned how to spot potential errors to save you time and money. 

2) Mean what you say, say what you mean

The final keynote speaker, Ron Tite, of the agency Church + State, has written a book called Think. Do. Say. and this was the theme of his presentation. Your message to your customer must be consistent in all that you think, do and say. This means that you need to back up your claims to your customers with actions that reflect your words. Whether it is backing an important cultural, social or environmental cause or simply completing a job on time – if your actions don’t match your words, customers will remember.

3) Figure out what your customers want, and give it to them

Several of the speakers talked about “filling gaps” within industries. Whether that means approaching your customers with innovative ideas, or simply using your expertise to help them bridge the gap with already existing ideas, you should always be looking for ways to make your customer’s experience the best it can be. Help your customers identify their goals, and provide solutions to achieve them.

Here at Troi, one of the ways we do that is by making the mailing process as painless as possible by providing crystal clear communication. Our customers consistently tell us they appreciate how quick we are to respond and how nice it is to have a live person answer the phone every time. We use our already existing focus on customer service is driven success to bridge the gap for customers looking for an answer as soon as possible.

4) Keep your company in the forefront of your customer’s mind

There is a lot of competition in the marketplace right now; for every service your company offers, there are likely several others within a radius who are offering the same service. The best way to ensure you keep your customers happy and coming back is to make sure you are the first company that comes to mind when they need something done. Whether that means answering questions quickly, sending thank you messages or sending out e-blasts in conjunction with your direct mail campaigns to improve your response time, this is an important lesson to learn!

We had a great time at Canada Post’s Think Inside the Box: Age of Me event and are proud to be positioning our company as a leader in the Age of Me; by listening to our customers, delivering what we promise and by raising our hand as a helpful guide through print, e-mail and direct mail marketing.

Want to come with us next year to learn about marketing strategies, hear amazing speakers and have some delicious food as well? We’d love to have you along! If you’re interested in attending Think Inside the Box 2020 with us, please feel free to reach out to Seamus (seamus@troimail.com).