Rules of Engagement

An engaged member is a retained member!

You know the deal -- recruitment, engagement and retention, are the keys to an overall effective membership plan.

Do you have a formal engagement program for new members?

Does it include:

  • A welcome letter w/benefits sheet.
  • Do you call them 90 days into their membership thanking them for joining and asking some key questions:

    1. Have you visited our website?
    2. Have you attended a chamber event?
    3. Have you signed up for our grassroots network?

  • In this call, it’s important to close w/thanking them for being a member.

While these simple suggestions may seem elementary, they can go a long way in improving your retention rates.

Remember, we all know it’s cheaper to retain a member than to recruit a new member.

Something to think about!

Customer Service

What does that mean?

In our business, I believe it means taking care of our members by providing the best programs, products and services on a daily basis to help them run their businesses.

It also means advocating for them at the local, state and federal levels of government.

There are a lot of customer service “best practices” lists floating around, just Google it.

Having said that, here’s a starting point for your customer service representatives when interacting with your members:

  • First and foremost listen to your member and their challenge/complaint;
  • Tell them you’re sorry and ask how you can help solve their situation;
  • Go out of your way to make it right;
  • Ask if there is anything else you can do for them; and
  • Thank them for their business/membership.

Empower your employees to make it right on the spot.  If they have to ask and get back to the member, you’ve lost your chance to solve your member’s problem in a timely and efficient manner.

A happy customer will spread the news of how you made it right!

For a neat infographic on 10 best practices to improve customer service from the Salesforce blog go HERE.