9 Customer Loyalty Programs That Work

July 28, 2025

Attracting new customers is important, but building loyalty is where long-term success happens. Loyal customers spend more, visit more often, and refer others. According to business.com, they spend 67% more than first-time customers. Cultivating that loyalty takes more than just great service. It takes creativity, consistency, and value-driven engagement. Whether you run a retail store, restaurant, gym, salon, or professional service firm, there are many inventive ways to reward loyal customers and turn them into your best advocates.


Rewards Programs

One loyalty tactic that has been around long before the internet is a simple rewards program. Punch cards are a timeless option because they work. Whether it’s “buy 9 coffees, get the 10th free,” or “get a free appetizer after five lunch visits,” customers love a visible, tangible progress tracker.


For businesses that want to modernize the concept, there are plenty of easy-to-use digital punch card apps that eliminate the need for physical cards while still offering the same satisfaction of reaching a goal.


Reusable Loyalty Product

If your business sells products or services that people buy frequently, consider creating a reusable loyalty item. You probably have visited a coffee shop that offers branded refillable cups where customers get discounted drinks every time they bring the cup. Smoothie and juice bars can use the same concept. This approach is environmentally friendly and encourages repeat visits. Plus, it serves as mobile advertising when customers carry your branded cup around town.


Not selling food or drinks? That’s okay. Sell merch for your business and every time someone wears it into your establishment, give them a small discount for “being a fan.”


Off-season Rewards

For businesses that rely on seasonal sales, loyalty programs can reward off-season engagement. A clothing boutique might offer a VIP summer sale to top customers who shopped consistently during the slower winter months. A lawn care company could provide early-bird discounts in the spring to clients who stayed on board through the fall. AC companies can offer a “head start on summer” discount for customers who book before the hot season. This tactic keeps customers connected during quiet periods and evens out your sales cycle.


Add-ons

Service businesses have equally creative options for rewarding loyalty. Salons and spas can offer free add-ons after a certain number of visits, think a complimentary scalp massage, a product sample, or a mini facial upgrade. Gyms and fitness studios could give loyal members branded merchandise like water bottles or workout towels, or even a free guest pass to bring a friend. Pet groomers might reward frequent clients with a free pet treat or small grooming upgrade, creating small moments of surprise and delight.


Members-only

Members-only programs in businesses are catching on as many businesses have found out that customers are willing to pay a small yearly (or monthly) fee to have access to specials, discounts, or secret sales. Restaurants can mix it up by offering special menu items only available to loyalty members, or hosting an exclusive monthly “members-only” happy hour. Similarly, bars and breweries can roll out a mug club, where members pay a small fee for their own glass or mug and receive larger pours or discounted drinks throughout the year. These kinds of programs tap into a sense of belonging and exclusivity, making customers feel like insiders.


Personalization and Appreciation

Knowing what your customers want is key to creating loyalty. Reward loyalty through early access to sales (or new rollouts), VIP shopping nights, or birthday discounts. Add a personal touch by tracking customer preferences and offering tailored discounts (like a favorite brand or product) based on purchase history. Offer “surprise boxes” or curated gift packages for your most loyal customers during the holidays, adding a layer of appreciation that goes beyond standard sales promotions.


Rewarding Referrals

Professional services, like accounting firms, law offices, or real estate agencies, can create loyalty by rewarding client referrals and repeat business. For example, a tax preparation firm could offer returning clients a discount or bonus service (you can make this date capped so that people will use the discount sooner and not during your busy season), such as a free mid-year financial check-in. Real estate agents can send home anniversary gifts, calendars, or cards to clients who purchased a home through them, staying top of mind long after the sale is complete.


Competition

Another fun idea is incorporating competition into loyalty efforts. Consider what action you want your customers to take. Businesses can set up friendly challenges, such as a “Top Referrer” program where the customer who refers the most friends in a quarter wins a bigger prize. Fitness studios might run “most classes attended” contests with tiered rewards. Offices or coworking spaces can offer contests for checking in, using conference rooms, or attending events. Bookstores can offer “readers’ rewards” with discounts after a set number of purchases, or host exclusive book clubs. Florists can reward repeat customers with a complimentary bouquet after multiple orders or surprise them with a small arrangement during their birthday month.


The point of any loyalty program is to make your customers feel seen and appreciated. This needn’t be costly. A simple handwritten thank you card, a surprise discount, or a personalized acknowledgment goes a long way in an age where much of business is automated. Loyalty grows when customers know you value their business and reward their commitment in meaningful ways.


As the holiday season approaches, it’s a great time to launch or refresh your loyalty program. Contact the chamber and let them know about your promotional ideas. Networking opportunities provide you an additional platform from which to share your loyalty strategies with the community.


Building loyalty is more than a marketing tactic. It’s an investment in long-term relationships that fuel sustained business growth and help you stand out from your competition.



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Christina Metcalf is a writer and women’s speaker who believes in the power of story. She works with small businesses, chambers of commerce, and business professionals who want to make an impression and grow a loyal customer/member base. She is the author of The Glinda Principle, rediscovering the magic within.

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Medium: @christinametcalf

Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking

Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor

LinkedIn: @christinagsmith

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Beyond the Mixer: Maximizing Your Chamber Membership

October 23, 2025
If your chamber membership is gathering dust because you don't enjoy networking events, you're missing out on significant value hiding in plain sight. While mixers and ribbon cuttings get the spotlight, your membership includes strategic resources that can solve real business problems, even for those of us who hate “working a room.” Your Chamber as Problem-Solving Partner Before hiring expensive consultants or spending hours researching solutions or attending City Council meetings with time you don’t have, tap into your chamber's institutional knowledge. Most chambers field dozens of questions weekly from businesses facing similar challenges. Need a reliable commercial insurance broker? Wondering about local permit requirements? Looking for employee benefits providers? Your chamber staff has likely connected ten other businesses with exactly what you need in the past month alone. A simple phone call can save you days of research and connect you with pre-vetted resources. Leverage Collective Buying Power Your chamber membership often includes access to group rates on essential services. Health insurance, payment processing, shipping discounts, office supplies, and advertising opportunities frequently come with member pricing that can save thousands annually. Many business owners never explore these benefits because they assume switching providers is complicated. Start with one area—perhaps credit card processing fees or shipping costs—and request a comparison quote through your chamber's endorsed programs. The savings often pay for your membership several times over. - Medical Plan available to Chamber Members through Aetna Strategic Visibility Without the Small Talk Hate networking events but still need visibility? Most chambers offer alternative exposure opportunities: member spotlights in newsletters, social media features, directory listings with SEO benefits, an article in their destination guide, and quote opportunities for press releases. Volunteer for a committee that meets during business hours rather than evening mixers. You'll build deeper relationships with fewer people while contributing your expertise. Economic development, public policy, events, or education committees often need people and meet in formats more comfortable than cocktail parties. - Your membership comes with an online listing that has a customizable landing page, complete with ability to rate and review. However, if your current membership level does not include this, feel free to contact us to discuss an upgrade: Office@llchamber.com - Interested in volunteering? Let us know: Office@llchamber.com . We’re always looking for people willing to lend a hand! - We’d love to hear your praise for the Chamber—send us a short quote!. Interested? You know the email: Office@llchamber.com . - Join our 2026 Leadership class and spend time with a select group of up and coming community leaders. Currently accepting applications through December 1. Make Your Voice Count Chambers actively advocate on behalf of businesses with local and state government. Your membership gives you a direct channel to influence policies affecting your bottom line from zoning regulations to tax policies. Most chambers solicit member input on advocacy priorities but rarely hear from the majority of their membership. When your chamber sends advocacy surveys or requests feedback, take ten minutes to respond. Your specific challenges and stories give chamber leaders concrete examples when they're meeting with elected officials. -Check out our Government Affairs Committee or join them, second Thursdays monthly, 9-10AM, at the Chamber. Playlists of past events also available on YouTube ! - Check out our Military Affairs Council- they meet monthly, first Tuesdays at noon, at the conference room in Fairfield Inn & Suites. They also have quarterly MAC socials. Sign up for our December 10 th social (free!) or contact us to discuss hosting one: Office@llchamber.com. Your chamber membership is a toolkit, not a ticket to parties. Identify two or three benefits aligned with your current business needs and commit to using them this quarter. The return on investment is there. You just need to claim it. - We are also collecting survey answers to better serve our community- please let us know! It’s short (we promise!) and will enter you for a chance to win a “LeavenworthIt” Swag bag. Read More: - 10 Ways to Get the Most from your Chamber Membership - How to Build Business Connections (Even if You Hate Networking) - Local Business Partnerships Strengthen Communities and Drive Growth - Your Chamber Listing Matters More Than Ever! ----------------- Christina Metcalf is a writer/ghostwriter who believes in the power of story. She works with small businesses, chambers of commerce, and business professionals who want to make an impression and grow a loyal customer/member base. She loves road trips, hates exclamation points, and is currently reading three books at once. _______________________________________ Medium: @christinametcalf Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor LinkedIn: @christinagsmith

How to Start Using AI in Your Small Business (Without the Overwhelm)

October 14, 2025
Everyone is telling you that you should be doing something with AI for your business. Every newsletter, podcast, and conference talk seems to assume you're already knee-deep in implementation. Meanwhile, you're stuck at square one (or just using it to write an email here or there), overwhelmed by options and uncertain where to begin. Welcome to AI paralysis—the small business challenge nobody's talking about. When we talk about AI paralysis, we’re not addressing the technophobe or those business owners who are resistant to change. It's understandable that they have their hesitation. But you’re different. You’re not against AI. You already use it a little but you’re not sure how to implement it in your business for maximum efficiencies. You’re just being a practical business owner and you don’t want to make an expensive mistake. But you're watching competitors post about their "AI transformation" and wondering if ChatGPT is even relevant to your industry. The fear of choosing wrong often feels worse than choosing nothing at all. Why Businesses Are Afraid of AI The paralysis typically stems from three sources. First, the options are genuinely overwhelming. Do you need a custom solution or an off-the-shelf tool? Should you be thinking about customer service bots, marketing automation, or operational efficiency? Second, the terminology is deliberately confusing. Companies slap "AI-powered" on everything, making it impossible to separate genuine innovation from rebranded software. Third, there's no clear ROI calculator for your specific situation. What works for a tech startup might be useless for a dental practice. You don't need an AI strategy with all the bells and whistles. You need to solve specific problems, and AI might be one tool in your arsenal. How to Use AI for Your Business Start by ignoring the hype entirely. Don’t just jump on the latest rollout. Instead, write down your three biggest operational headaches. Get clear on the tasks that waste time, create bottlenecks, or drive you crazy. Maybe it's answering the same customer questions repeatedly, writing product descriptions, or scheduling appointments. Don't think about AI yet. Just identify the pain. Now, for each problem, spend thirty minutes exploring if an AI tool exists that addresses it. Not researching broadly—specifically searching for solutions to that exact problem. You'll quickly discover that for many small business needs, purpose-built AI tools already exist and cost less than hiring additional help. The key is starting microscopically small. Don't implement an enterprise solution. Try one free or low-cost tool for one specific task. Use ChatGPT to draft email responses for a week. Test an AI scheduling assistant for a month. Let an AI transcription service handle your meeting notes. These tiny experiments cost almost nothing and teach you what AI can do. For most small businesses, AI's real value isn't in dramatic transformation. It's in recovering small pockets of time that accumulate into meaningful savings. Fifteen minutes saved on daily email drafts. Twenty minutes saved on social media planning. An hour saved on meeting summaries. It’s unlikely you’ll fall behind your competition because you haven’t built custom AI solutions. The businesses that will struggle in the future are those that haven’t experimented with anything at all. AI paralysis ends the moment you treat it like any other business tool: try something small, measure if it works, keep it or dump it, then move on to the next experiment. If you’re not sure where to start, check with your chamber of commerce. It’s likely they have resources, programming, or connections that can help you figure out how to use AI tools for greater efficiency. Further Reading: 5 Genius Ways AI Can Stretch Your Existing Content AI For Small Businesses: Practical Steps to Boost Efficiency and Customer Engagement AI Isn't Replacing SEO- It's Redefining It How to Win at Content With AI  ----------------- Christina Metcalf is a writer and women’s speaker who believes in the power of story. She works with small businesses, chambers of commerce, and business professionals who want to make an impression and grow a loyal customer/member base. She is the author of The Glinda Principle , rediscovering the magic within. _______________________________________ Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor LinkedIn: @christinagsmith