How do I get customers to come back to my business?

Focus on three things: deliver consistent quality, make customers feel recognized, and give them a reason to return (like a loyalty program or exclusive offers). The businesses with the highest repeat rates excel at making customers feel valued.

What percentage of revenue comes from repeat customers?

For most local businesses, 40-60% of revenue comes from repeat customers. In some industries like coffee shops and salons, it's even higher—up to 80% of revenue can come from regulars.

How much does it cost to get a repeat customer vs a new one?

According to Harvard Business Review, acquiring a new customer costs 5-25x more than retaining an existing one. This is why investing in customer retention has such high ROI.

What's the best way to track repeat customers?

Digital loyalty programs are the most effective way. They automatically track visits, show you who your regulars are, and let you reward them. Paper methods or memory alone miss most repeat visits.

How often should I reach out to past customers?

It depends on your business cycle. Coffee shops might not need outreach (customers come daily). Salons might reach out every 4-6 weeks. The key is being helpful, not pushy—share value, not just promotions.

How to Get Repeat Customers: 7 Proven Strategies for Local Businesses (2026)

Last updated: January 2026

Getting repeat customers comes down to three things: delivering consistent quality, making customers feel recognized, and giving them a clear reason to come back. Businesses that master these basics see 25-40% higher customer retention.

Key Takeaway: The best strategy for getting repeat customers isn’t complicated. It’s about being consistently good and making people feel valued every single time they visit.

Why Repeat Customers Matter More Than New Ones

Every business owner knows they need customers. But not all customers are equal.

The numbers tell a clear story:

Acquiring a new customer costs 5-25x more than retaining an existing one (Harvard Business Review)
Repeat customers spend 31% more on average compared to first-time buyers (Business2Community)
Existing customers are 50% more likely to try new products or services you offer (Bain & Company)
A 5% increase in retention can boost profits by 25-95% (Bain & Company)

For a local business, this means your regulars aren’t just nice to have—they’re the foundation of your revenue. A coffee shop with 100 daily customers might get 60-70% of its revenue from the same 30-40 people who come back repeatedly.

The 7 Strategies That Actually Work

1. Deliver Consistent Quality Every Time

This sounds obvious, but it’s where most businesses fail.

Your regulars come back because they know what to expect. The coffee tastes the same. The haircut is reliably good. The service is friendly.

One bad experience can undo 10 good ones.

What consistency looks like:

Same product quality regardless of who’s working
Same level of service from all staff members
Same cleanliness and atmosphere

Action step: Create simple checklists for your team. Not complicated procedures—just the basics that ensure every customer gets the same experience.

2. Recognize Your Regulars

People remember how you make them feel. When someone walks in and you remember their name—or their usual order—it creates connection.

According to McKinsey, businesses that prioritize personalization generate 40% more revenue than those that don’t.

You don’t need a photographic memory:

Loyalty programs track customers automatically
Point-of-sale notes can store preferences
Simple observation works too—pay attention to who comes often

The goal isn’t to be creepy. It’s to make regulars feel like they belong.

3. Start a Loyalty Program

This is the most direct way to encourage repeat visits. Give customers a concrete reason to come back.

84% of consumers say they’re more likely to stick with brands that offer loyalty programs (Bond Brand Loyalty).

What works:

Simple structure: “Buy 8, get 1 free” beats complex point systems
Achievable goals: 6-10 visits to earn a reward, not 20
Visible progress: Show them how close they are

Digital loyalty cards work better than paper because customers always have their phone. No “forgot my card” excuses. (See our complete guide to coffee loyalty cards for a real-world example.)

4. Follow Up After the First Visit

The gap between first visit and second visit is where most customers disappear.

Most first-time buyers never return to a business. According to marketing research, only about 27% of first-time customers make a second purchase (Shopify). Not because they had a bad experience—they just forget.

Ways to follow up:

Email receipt with a “come back” offer
Loyalty card given at first purchase
Social media follow request

The key is giving them something to come back for. A 10% discount on the next visit. A free add-on. Something specific.

5. Create Reasons to Return

Beyond loyalty rewards, give customers ongoing reasons to come back:

Weekly specials that change
Limited-time offers that create urgency
Events (live music, themed nights, classes)
New products to try

A salon might offer “Tuesdays are 20% off color services.” A cafe might do “New seasonal drink every month.” (For more cafe-specific ideas, see how to set up a coffee shop loyalty program.)

The point is giving people who already like you a specific reason to visit this week.

6. Make It Easy to Return

Remove every possible friction:

Easy booking: Online scheduling, text confirmation
Fast checkout: Don’t make people wait
Convenient hours: Be open when your customers need you
Location reminders: Push notifications for nearby customers

The easier you make it to come back, the more often people will.

7. Ask for Feedback—And Actually Use It

Customers who give feedback are invested in your business. They want you to succeed.

Ask simply:

“How was everything today?”
“Anything we could do better?”
Quick follow-up email survey

Then act on it. If multiple people mention slow service on weekends, fix it. If customers love a particular product, feature it more.

Customers who see their feedback implemented become your biggest advocates.

What Works vs What Doesn’t

Works	Doesn’t Work
Recognizing regulars by name	Treating everyone the same
Simple loyalty programs (buy 8, get 1)	Complex point systems
Consistent quality every visit	Great service only when owner is there
Following up after first visit	Assuming they’ll remember you
Asking for feedback	Ignoring complaints
Digital loyalty cards (always on phone)	Paper cards (easily lost)
Genuine appreciation	Fake urgency and pushy sales

How to Measure Success

Track these metrics to know if your retention efforts work:

Customer Retention Rate

What percentage of customers come back within a set period (30, 60, 90 days)?

Formula: ((Customers at end - New customers) / Customers at start) x 100

Repeat Purchase Rate

What percentage of your customers have bought more than once?

Good benchmarks:

Coffee shops: 60-70%
Restaurants: 40-50%
Salons: 50-60%
Retail: 25-35%

Customer Lifetime Value (CLV)

How much does an average customer spend over their entire relationship with you?

Formula: Average purchase value x Purchase frequency x Average customer lifespan

A customer worth $2,000 over 3 years is worth investing in.

Getting Started: The Simple Version

You don’t need to implement all 7 strategies at once. Start with these three:

Fix consistency issues first. Nothing else matters if quality varies.
Start a digital loyalty program. It handles recognition, follow-up, and reasons to return automatically.
Ask your best customers what they like. Then do more of that.

The businesses with the best repeat customer rates aren’t doing anything magical. They’re just consistently good at the basics.

Ready to Get More Repeat Customers?

A digital loyalty card is the easiest way to start. Your customers add it to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet in seconds—no app to download. You see who’s coming back and can reward them automatically.

Try FaveCard free for 30 days →