Decisive, regular repeat purchase makes a brand

The so-called customer care service of one of India ’s largest mobile phone operators regularly calls me, and then asks, “What’s your name, sir?” Their intention to perhaps offer additional services may be good, but their insensitivity is appalling. Having been their subscriber for the last 10 years, obviously I’m in no mood to reciprocate enthusiastically to reveal my identity.

This clearly demonstrates the tactlessness of companies who ignore per capita growth because market penetration possibilities is high in populous India. Running after new customers in new geographies is the quick-fix business expansion route. Do companies glance back to seal the existing customers’ emotional bond to the brand? Business houses relegate that job of acquiring emotional connect to television ads. Not on their priority agenda is the understanding of who the customer is.  Failure to connect to existing customers may shut the door of what business sustainability thrives on, the customer’s decisive, regular repeat purchase.

Your brand’s regular, repeat purchase can be extremely volatile as its dependent of the customer’s capricious decision. Unless the brand knows how to lock her in, she can move away at whim.

Irrespective of any buying cycle, your brand’s biggest danger is the infrequent buyer, lapser or those who swing at the last moment of purchase. This happens because industries pay scant attention to their customer eco-system. Businesses spend time in backend management, acquiring assets, but leave customer centricity to hypothetical presumption. Have they compulsively enquired, “Who is my customer? Why is she my customer? What is her social standing, family, health, education, earning and living condition?” Do businesses have pictures of their customer profile pasted on company walls to invite employees to become sensitive to them? Instead I’ve often seen paintings, company policies or HR initiatives on office walls. Poor infrastructure in India makes industries dependent on wholesalers who generate 40 to 60% sales. Traceability of this buyer is totally unknown.

Customer loyalty programs have become prevalent but transactional, gently bulldozing members to buy, not understand their psychological make-up. Going back to the mobile operator, the biggest ambition is to bundle offerings for winning the price war. On querying subscribers, I only hear of the best promotions, never talk on service quality.

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Chitra