Understanding The 3 Main Types of Customers (2024)

Understanding The 3 Main Types of Customers (1)
Today I’d like to focus a little bit on customer service: as a manager, it’s your responsibility to ensure your team is providing the best customer service possible, but at the same time it is very difficult to watch every single person you employ 100% of the time.

Despite the best efforts of your team you may from time to time lose customers, but whether or not you decide to retain those customers is another story.

Click here for a short video on how to create a high performing team culture

If you haven’t already realised it, you’ll learn that there are really three main types of customer that every organisation should strive to have.

They are:

Your Current Customers

These are the most important because they’ve already made a commitment to you.

They’re less likely to leave your organisation if they receive great customer service and, in reality, it costs less to keep them happy than it does to solicit new business.

Brand New Customers

These are the people who are currently purchasing products and services from your competitors.

What can you do to show them that your products and services are of a higher quality and would benefit them more than the products they’re currently purchasing?

Lost Customers

Lost customers left your organisation for a reason, but you may be able to win them back.

You should, of course, consider this on a case by case basis.

You obviously don’t want to try to regain a customer who had a terrible payment history.

You should, however, try to regain customers who left because of price, because they thought you didn’t have what they needed, or who may suddenly find the service at the new organisation isn’t as great as they thought it would be.

Make sure your team members understand the three types of customers and how important each is to the growth and success of your organisation.

Focus on these three main types of customer and you’re bound to see significant growth in your workgroup!

Thanks again,

Sean

Sean McPheat

Managing Director

MTD Training

Understanding The 3 Main Types of Customers (2)

Updated on: 21 May, 2009

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Understanding The 3 Main Types of Customers (2024)

FAQs

What are the three 3 major classifications of customers? ›

The Three Customer Types
  • The decisive customer. This customer type has decided to proceed through the decision making process quickly in order to complete the purchase. ...
  • The learning customer. The learning customer type starts out with no knowledge at all of the product. ...
  • The impulsive customer.
May 11, 2015

What are the 3 major types of consumers? ›

Primary consumers, mostly herbivores, exist at the next level, and secondary and tertiary consumers, omnivores and carnivores, follow. At the top of the system are the apex predators: animals who have no predators other than humans.

What are the 3 main customer needs? ›

Ultimately, all customer needs can be categorized into three main types: functional, social, and emotional needs.
  • Functional Needs. Functional needs are the most tangible and obvious of the three main types of customer needs. ...
  • Social Needs. ...
  • Emotional Needs.
Sep 1, 2020

What would you say are the top 3 ways to understand what customers want need? ›

Here are three ways to develop an understanding of your customers' needs so you can better serve them with your products and services.
  • Reflect on Your Experiences. ...
  • Observe Behaviors. ...
  • Conduct Interviews.
Aug 6, 2020

What are the 3 groups of consumers and how are they different from each other? ›

There are four types of consumers: omnivores, carnivores, herbivores and decomposers. Herbivores are living things that only eat plants to get the food and energy they need. Animals like whales, elephants, cows, pigs, rabbits, and horses are herbivores. Carnivores are living things that only eat meat.

What are consumers give 3 examples? ›

Animals come to mind when thinking of consumers - lions, wolves, deer, birds, rabbits - but consumers also include fungi, amoeba, and bacteria. There are three levels of consumers in a food chain - primary consumers, secondary consumers, and tertiary consumers. Primary consumers are organisms that eat the producers.

What are the 3 classes of consumer buying situations? ›

In conclusion, there are three major types of buying situations, which are new task, modified rebuy and straight rebuy. Three factors make the buying situations be different from the others, customers may face different problems in these situations.

What are three 3 examples of common customer needs and expectations? ›

Here are some of the most common types of customer needs you might experience:
  • Product features. A feature is the component of a product that provides benefits to a customer. ...
  • Time. ...
  • Cost. ...
  • Friendliness. ...
  • Product design. ...
  • Environment. ...
  • Understanding. ...
  • Clear terms.
Feb 3, 2023

What are the 3 A's in customer service? ›

At Apple, these are the three “As”: acknowledge, align, and assure. Acknowledge their frustration and restate it back to them in your own words. Align with them, let them know you've heard and understood that it's a big deal.

What are the three C's of customer service? ›

There is an old saying in the real-estate industry: The three keys to success are location, location and location. I have a similar take on the customer service and customer service world. The three keys to customer experience success are consistency, consistency and consistency.

How do you understand your customers? ›

Take time to listen to your customers. Then try to understand what they want from your business and what they actually experience. Finally, take steps every day to bridge the gap. Listening to feedback, and then acting on it, is the key to driving profitable, engaging relationships with your customers.

What are the three most important things to remember when communicating with customers? ›

  • Honesty - This means answering customer questions and meeting their concerns with honesty and integrity. ...
  • Listening - An excellent customer service representative focuses on getting to know the shopper, asking questions, and most importantly - listening. ...
  • Empathy - Here are some ways to convey empathy with customers:
Jul 21, 2016

What are the 4 main customer needs? ›

Most business ideas come from an entrepreneur spotting a need for a product or service. There are four main customer needs that an entrepreneur or small business must consider. These are price, quality, choice and convenience.

What are the classification of customers? ›

Common customer classifications used include gender, age, geographic location, and income. Organizations use the classifications to determine who is using their services and buying their products. They also use these classifications to determine and target programs, such as marketing campaigns.

What is the 3 level consumer marketing channel? ›

Producer → Agent/Broker → Wholesaler or Retailer → Customer (Three-level Channel)

What are the types of customer? ›

Here's a quick rundown of the different types of customers:
  • New Customers. New customers are customers who purchase from your brand for the first time. ...
  • Potential Customers. ...
  • Angry Customers. ...
  • Curious Customers. ...
  • Loyal Customers. ...
  • Impulse Customers. ...
  • Discount Customers. ...
  • Active Customers.
Jan 4, 2024

What are the three 3 primary modes of doing business? ›

There are three common types of businesses—sole proprietorship, partnership, and corporation—and each comes with its own set of advantages and disadvantages. Here's a rundown of what you need to know about each one.

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