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Is Giving Loyal Clients the “VIP Treatment” the Best Move for Your Staffing Firm?

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For years I’ve read posts and articles touting the benefits of loyalty programs:

  • They drive sales.
  • They make your “best” customers happy.
  • They boost your reputation.
  • They allow you to gather valuable customer data.
  • And, obviously, they’re designed to promote client loyalty, increasing both retention and share of customer.

There’s no disputing the fact that showering customers with perks, rewards and VIP treatment has its upsides. But is it smarter to give loyal clients preferential treatment, or to treat every customer the same – regardless of how long they’ve been a client, how frequently they order from you, or how much they spend?

Think about it for a minute.

In my opinion, the way you treat staffing clients should have nothing to do with tenure, revenue or order frequency. Here’s why:

  • Every client deserves shareworthy service. They should receive your respect and attention regardless of their “status” with your agency.
  • Shareworthy service creates good karma. The HR coordinator for a small employer who places a 2-day temp order today may land an executive position with a massive potential client tomorrow. They’ll remember the way you treated them, which may lead to bigger business opportunities down the road.
  • The way you treat clients influences your internal culture. If you send the message (spoken or unspoken) that some customers are just more important than others, your team may infer that some employees are just more important than others. A false assumption like that can quickly erode your culture.

Can you still be successful without giving certain staffing clients the “VIP treatment”?

Absolutely! My shareworthy service posts are full of ideas to help you build your business by doing things like: providing proactive service; mapping your client experience; tracking key customer service metrics; and more. Just be sure you keep the playing field level:

  • Create a customer service standard for your team to live by – ones that garners praise regardless of how much or little a client spends.
  • Embrace the notion that all customers are equal – even if some have been around longer or spend more than others.
  • Set a great service example every day, with every client interaction. Your team takes your cues from you; if you model fair treatment, they will too!
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