Better make that first impression a good one. 56% of consumers believe that the first purchase or beginning of service is the deciding moment in establishing brand loyalty, according to results from the second brand loyalty survey conducted by ClickFox. In last year’s survey, when asked the most critical time for a company to gain their loyalty, 48% of the consumers surveyed said it’s when they make their first purchase or begin service, while just 1% said it’s when they’re considering switching to a competitor.
Separate results from the latest survey suggest that poor customer service (48%) and brand quality (35%) are the biggest deterrents to customer loyalty, while brand quality (60%), ease of use (46%) and features (40%) are the top drivers of loyalty.
Consumers seem to be fairly clear in their communication preferences: no conversations please. Two-thirds said they do not want to be contacted over the phone for special offers, information and upgrades. Instead, almost 3 in 4 would prefer to be contacted by email or text message. Additionally, in-store representatives (29%) and phone agents (26%) count as the lowest preferences for consumers when learning about new products.
Other Findings:
- Apple emerged on top of all brands for customer loyalty, for the second year running.
- Food and beverage, airlines, cellphone manufacturers, retail stores, hotel chains, and automakers are the categories most likely to engender customer loyalty.
- Cable, wireless, banking and insurance providers still are having difficulty gaining customer loyalty.
- 35% of respondents said loyalty programs are not important when deciding their favorite brands.
- Consumers report being only able to stay loyal to an average of 3 brands they engage with on a daily basis.
About the Data: The ClickFox 2013 Brand Loyalty Survey audited 304 consumers in March 2013 on their preferences when selecting brands. Respondents were 58 percent male and 42 percent female. The research evaluated a broad range of generational attitudes with 27 percent ages 22 to 34, 31 percent ages 35 to 44, 28 percent ages 45 to 54, and 11 percent ages 55 to 64. Consumers polled leaned towards the affluent with 14 percent earning less than $50,000, 13 percent earning $50,000 to $69,999, 12 percent earning $70,000 to $89,999, 20 percent earning $90,000 to $124,999, and 41 percent earning $125,000 or more per household.
