The Importance of Loyalty for Customer Satisfaction

No, I’m not tooting my own horn and referring to our Chief Executive Officer, Joe Nigro. I am actually referring to the three gears that power Constellation’s business: Customers, Employees and Owners (CEO). The truth of the matter is, none of these gears can turn in isolation – they either turn together or they don’t turn at all.

And what, exactly, provides the force to ensure the gears are moving? Loyalty.

When I speak of loyalty, I am referring to developing long-term relationships with your customers, employees and owners (stakeholders, external partners, etc.). Insisting on a business structure that is loyal suggests that you want to invest in trust, consistency, follow-through and fair treatment—which will ultimately result in commitment. It also encourages innovative solutions and rewarding service, which results in collaboration. As you can see, loyalty is more than skin deep; it looks well beyond immediate financial return.

Think about what businesses, products and services you are loyal to. What drives you to promote a business that is not your own? What differentiates it from its competitors?

Becoming a desirable business to a consumer means that you are investing in and understanding how and where to generate loyalty.

The first step is to look within your current customer base. Loyal customers renew their commitments and therefore lengthen their profit lifecycle. They also spread the word about your business and best practices and become key promoters for potential future sales.

Second, look within your own employee base. Loyal employees become long-term employees, as they are the individuals who know your customers best.

Finally, look within your current stakeholders. Loyal share owners are committed to your long-term value and sharing your principles just as much as you are.

So, how can you gauge whether your company is fulfilling the value proposition for your internal and external stakeholders?

Go beyond the transaction.

If you haven’t already, begin changing your philosophy about loyalty. Start thinking of ways that you can enhance loyalty internally and externally. Here at Constellation, we have started redefining our internal philosophy through developing initiatives that help our employees grow and adapt with your company, as opposed to making the conversation one-directional.

From an external perspective, we are focused on hearing our customers’ feedback. We have invested in the Net Promoter Score (NPS) and System to ensure that we understand the true status of customer satisfaction rates for each and every one of our customers. We are also being transparent in communicating the feedback we receive to improve not only the transactional experience with our customers but also the way in which we approach relationship management.

Earning C-E-O loyalty leads to sustainable growth through sustainable improvements. What types of CEO loyalty programs and initiatives is your business currently pursuing?

Meredith Keeney is the Loyalty Manager for Constellation’s Northeast Sales Region. She is a Net Promoter® Certified Associate and can be reached at Meredith.Keeney@constellation.com.