Sales Advice

7 ways to make your customers feel like VIPs

Mar 26, 2025 2 min read

Want your customers to keep coming back? Try adopting a more personal touch and watch as your clients lap up the attention.

Here are seven simple ways to make every shopper feel like a VIP

1. Remember names and favourites

If you want to make your customers feel special, remember them. Sounds obvious, right, but it’s extremely effective. Nothing warms the cockles like being remembered. If a regular comes in, greet them by name. It takes little effort but has a big impact.

2. Recommend stuff they’ll actually like

Stop with the one-size-fits-all all approach. Generic doesn’t work. If you know what a customer likes, suggest products they’ll be into. If they always buy a particular type of product, show them a new range they might love.

3. Make loyalty rewards personal

Instead of handing out the same discounts to everyone, tailor your rewards. What are your customers into? If someone’s always grabbing scented candles, surprise them with a deal on their favourite.

4. Add a personal note

Run an online business? You can up the ante too. When you’re packaging up their purchase to ship, don’t forget to drop in a note. A handwritten thank-you or a message can be a lovely surprise. It’s old school, but it works!

5. Give regulars the VIP treatment

Treat your best customers like VIPs because, let’s face it, they are. That doesn’t mean that they get to jump the queue and slip through the velvet rope, but it does entitle them to some extras. What about offering an exclusive shopping night or discounts on a complimentary purchase? Small touches like this show your customers they’re appreciated.

6. Follow-up is your friend

A quick check-in after a purchase goes a long way. Ask if they’re happy with their new dress or if they need help styling that outfit they’ve just purchased. It’s a small gesture that builds real loyalty.

7. Get your team on the same page

Your staff are the face of your business, so make sure they bring a personal touch to their service, too. A friendly chat, honest advice, and remembering customer preferences can turn a one-time shopper into a loyal fan.

Personalising customer service is all about making people feel valued. Get it right, and that’s what keeps them coming back.

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About the author

Cec Busby

Editor

Cec has been telling stories and chasing headlines for more than 25 years. These days, she’s editor of Private Media’s Business Builders and Flying Solo, and the voice behind the Flying Solo and First Act podcasts. She kicked off her editing career as the founding editor of Sydney street press The Brag and has since worn the editor’s hat across a stack of titles – from SX and CULT to Better Pictures, Total Rock, MTV, fasterlouder, mynikonlife and Fantastic Living. Cec’s reporting runs the gamut. She’s covered small business, politics, health and LGBTQIA+ issues with equal passion. And when she’s not in print or online, you might have caught her behind the mic at FBi Radio or in front of the camera on OutTV.

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