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Source: iStart
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Newmarket golf equipment business The Golf House is keeping in touch with customers more effectively with eTXT, building lasting relationships to keep them coming back... |
Lloyd Gilmore, owner and director of golf equipment retailer The Golf House, says the success of his business comes down to the relationships he builds and maintains with his customers.
“We’ve got about 4,500 customers on our database and we need to contact them for all sorts of things.
Maintaining relationships
“We’ll often customise products to suit customers and sometimes order in more specialised equipment. We needed a way to let our customers know when this gear was ready for them to pick up.
“And we wanted to be more proactive as well. Letting them know when their new gear has arrived is a start, but we wanted to keep in touch with them afterwards – making sure they’re happy with the alterations to a club, letting them know about other products they might be interested in or simply thanking them for shopping with us.
Gilmore says traditional communications methods were either too costly or inconvenient for these purposes.
“The problem with writing letters and stuffing envelopes is they’re pretty time-consuming and postage costs the business as well. Calling customers is another option but this can be inconvenient for them, especially if you can’t get hold of the customer straight away and have to leave messages.
“We were looking for a way of keeping in touch with all these customers, which would be cheap, time-effective and personalised.”
Keeping in touch with texts
“Telecom provided us with the perfect solution – eTXT. The only thing we needed was the software, which they installed on our computers at the front counter.
“They gave us a rundown on how to use it but it’s very straightforward. Every time we need to get in touch, we tap a message into the PC and send it through to the customer’s mobile phone.
“It only takes a minute to send a message and when it’s gone, we know it won’t get lost in the mail or be forgotten about by the person who said they’d pass it on.
Simple and effective communication
“We’re really pleased with eTXT. Our customers appreciate receiving alerts to new stock or the arrival of their purchases without the hassle of having to take a phone call in person. They can check their text messages whenever suits them.
“It’s also really convenient for us. We can follow-up with customers in a fraction of the time we used to spend on the phone or composing and sending letters. This means we can get on with helping customers in the store.
“It means that our relationship with customers isn’t confined to when they walk into the shop. But at the same time, we’re not hassling them with mountains of paper or time-consuming phone calls. Our customers have the information they need, when they need it.
“I don’t know why everybody isn’t using it.”
For more information
Telecom New Zealand
www.telecom.co.nz |
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