Building Loyalty

One of the things I enjoy most about being a repeat customer is the familiarity I eventually form with the business I frequent. Over time it is only natural for loyalty to build. When my coffee order is ready before I even reach the barista, my loyalty is secured.

We use a lot of the same local vendors for most of our work at KAP Art. Central and Bourland do most of our printing. If we need signs or banners we use Image King and Harris Design. The biggest part of our silkscreen and embroidery work goes to Willamette Valley Screen Print and Embroidery. Not only have we found that we are able to depend on these businesses to deliver a high quality finished product, but we are also confident they will be timely and accurate.

My favorite result of this frequent patronage is the personal bond created. Being able to talk to our vendors about family, the kids, and the dog makes every transaction that much brighter. We appreciate our vendors and they reciprocate often, referring their customers to us for design work.

Recently a café in town re-opened as Chiefs and we gather there for our weekly office meeting. Sometimes it is necessary to be away from the office and the phone in order to be productive without interruption, and discuss what’s on the to-do-docket. Most of our jobs overlap so it’s a good thing when we have a general idea of everyone’s needs and expectations. The café doesn’t seem to mind we spend an hour over coffee, oatmeal and eggs discussing business. As time goes on they will get so they know us by name, and probably by order. We will build a relationship, and most likely some loyalty to them.

Whether its returned patronage to a restaurant, coffee shop, or vendor, if the service is good and dependable a bond is created, trust is established, and loyalty is built. We strive to build strong relationships with our clients. We remain loyal to them and appreciate them every day.