5 Types of Customers and How To Address Their Needs

The world of customer service is broad and wide, full of varying philosophies and practices. Despite the array of options and often contradicting viewpoints, some customers always need a particular response. If you want to discover these foundational strategies, here is a guide to five types of customers and how to address their needs.

The Potential Consumer

All customers must start somewhere, and every new and loyal consumer begins as an interested party who needs some persuading before jumping on board. Potential customers want to feel pursued and desired; they want the vendor to act as if they will not survive without their business. This is more on the potential consumer mindset and what to do about their consumer needs.

A Hard-To-Get Mindset

The potential customer has a unique position in a business relationship—they get to sit back and relax as you do all the emotional and logical work for them. The potential consumer operates with a hard-to-get mindset, chewing on their decision before purchasing an item. Since these customers still have their misgivings and reservations, they need you to make a good impression. They are a “potential” customer and could just as likely walk away from the purchase as transact it.

Needs To Feel Persuaded

The potential customer needs to feel persuaded. The burden of proof lies with you, but this is an easy battle to win, especially with your marketing team in tow. If you own a supermarket that sells avocados, you cannot justify your marked-up prices without persuading consumers that they need avocados at home this week. Try putting up informational posters about the health benefits of avocados, including fun, tasty recipes with the fruit in them. You can also run promotions and BOGO sales to entice potential consumers further.

The New Customer

Some customers are new to your store but have a commitment to your brand or just bought an item for the first time. These people are your new customers—the ones you want to impress and bring into the fold.

An Open-Minded Perspective

The new customer is a bright-eyed, bushy-tailed consumer ready to grab whatever you put on your shelves so long as it interests them. They already bought into your marketing and mission; all you need to do is give them something noteworthy to purchase. The new customer’s open-minded perspective benefits both people involved. The customer feels satisfied that they found a fun, fresh place to shop for items they want, while the business gains more profits from their perusals.

Needs a Reason To Come Back

Your approach with new customers is all about one thing—developing loyalty. These people need a reason to come back to your store. They clearly are interested in your products or services and see their value, so they are willing to buy from you again in the future. Take advantage of this established trust and reach out to them consistently with reasons to come back to the store. From new product announcements to interesting coupons, the more you invite them to come back, the more likely they will return.

The Bargain Hunter

The bargain hunter may sound like an intimidating customer to engage with—and they honestly are at times—but they are quite easy to address. They are a money-conscious consumer on a mission to save as much as possible.

A Single-Minded Approach

Bargain hunters spend hours each week poring over newspapers, online forums, and coupon books to gather the biggest and most relevant deals at local stores. When a discount shopper visits a store, they have one mission: find the best deals and save the most money. This single-minded approach is quite a strength because it gives bargain hunters the focus to follow through on their journey to the cashier. On the flip side, their dedication makes them a predictable customer type.

Needs a Valuable Promotion

If you are not into couponing as an individual, you likely do not understand the rush of calculating all the money you save at the end of a transaction. Bargain hunters are always on the lookout for good deals, so put yourself out there and create some attractive offers. The bigger the sale, the more enticing you appear to discount shoppers. If you decide to run a sizeable promotion, run it in all media forums. Put out ads in local newspapers, send coupons to addresses in your region, update the coupon section of your website, and submit your new deals to coupon aggregation sites. The higher the saturation, the better your chances are at catching these customers and reeling them into your shop.

The Loyal Customer

The loyal customer does not need the flashing lights or red carpet—they enjoy what you are doing as a business, and they are on board with your philosophy. So, you must take a different approach when dealing with them.

A Committed Mindset

The loyal customer loves your business and wants to support you. Their commitment may extend to a personal relationship with you as the business owner or with your employees. All you have to do with them is allow them to engage with your business and purchase your goods or services.

Needs a Communicative Relationship

The best way to keep a customer loyal is through a communicative relationship. They want to know what is going on with your business, so keep them updated with monthly emails. You can also create a loyalty program that rewards committed customers when they buy from you.

The Indecisive Customer

Some people just do not know what they want in a store. They peruse for hours until they find one thing they partially like and buy that just to end their indecisive misery. You can step in and help these customers find their way through your store.

An Unsure Approach

At their core, indecisive customers are unsure of themselves. These people likely feel paralyzed by the finality of paying for an item and losing their money on something they may not fully enjoy. Instead of overwhelming customers like this, offer them a way out.

Needs a Push in the Right Direction

The indecisive person would greatly benefit from recommendations, reviews, and ratings. Try having a featured or staff picks section in your store. These consumers will gravitate toward the safety of these hand-selected options. You can use various retail display solutions to alert indecisive customers to your best products and highly recommended services.

Remember these five types of customers and how to address their needs as you plan your marketing strategy for the next few months. The better you anticipate your consumers, the more likely you are to attract people through your doors. If you have any questions about organizing your store for maximal marketing output, reach out to us at The Global Display Solution today. Our team is ready to help you design a successful operation.