How to use data and trust to win long-term customer relationships? 6 key actions, 50% increase in retention rate%

Author of this article：Fiona

Many people think that “customer relationship = sending discounts and giving small gifts”, but in fact, a high-quality customer relationship is a combination of "value exchange + emotional binding”-making customers feel that "buying your products is worry-free and comfortable to communicate with you”, and even ”if you don't buy it, you are willing to keep in touch with you".. This article jumps out of the misunderstanding of “simply pleasing customers”, disassembles 6 customer relationship operation actions that can be implemented, and integrates them into Mixdesk The efficient empowerment program of the tool will help you turn “one-time customers” into “old customers who have been repurchased for a long time and loyal customers who have actively fissioned."

Why is "customer relationship” the real moat of the enterprise?

In the competitive environment in 2025, the product gap is getting smaller and smaller. What really determines whether the brand can continue to grow is——Quality of customer relationship。

Brands may rely on advertising to get the first deal, but if they want to continue to repurchase, spread word of mouth, and grow at low cost, they rely on customer relationships. Data display：

• The cost of acquiring a new customer is 5 times that of maintaining an old customer；
• For every 5% increase in the customer repurchase rate, the profit can be increased by 25%~95%；
• 70% of customers leave the brand not because of the product, but because they “don't feel valued.”

Below, we will start from actual combat and explain in depth the underlying logic and actual combat methods of customer relationships-combined with Mixdesk Intelligent Customer Service System Let's see how intelligent tools can make customer management more efficient and humane.

6 key actions of customer relationship, from “renewal” to “repurchase”, full coverage

The core of high-quality customer relationship operations is “at the right time, to the right customers, and to do the right thing.”

Action 1: Customer layering (add friends/within 24 hours after the transaction)

Layered according to "Value + life cycle”, maintenance efficiency is increased by 40%%：Only by labeling and grading customers first can we avoid "blind maintenance” and spend energy on high-value customers. 

Practical points：

Hierarchical dimensions according to the core such as “Life cycle stage” and “Customer value”，Divided into 4 categories，Use forms to clarify maintenance priorities; quickly capture customer information through tools, and automatically mark at the same time. 

Customer type	Hierarchical standard	Core requirements	Maintenance focus
New customer (not yet paid)	Did not place an order after adding a friend, or the order amount is	Build trust and understand the product	Send value content (such as user guide), light interaction
New customers	Within 7 days after the first order is placed	Confirm the experience and solve usage problems	After-sales return visit, use guidance
Old customer	There are more than 2 transactions in 3 months, and the unit price is medium	Cost-effective, exclusive sense of exclusivity	Exclusive benefits, priority experience for new products
High-value customers	Annual consumption exceeds 5,000 yuan, or bulk purchase customers	Efficiency, customization, priority service	One-to-one exclusive customer service, customized solutions

Mixdesk Support custom marking rules according to different business scenarios, such as “last active time”, “Purchase intention”, “product preference” and other conditions, the system can automatically generate corresponding labels for customers. When customer behavior changes, the label will be updated in real time, so that the customer tiering is always up-to-date. At the same time, customers are automatically classified according to the rules, so companies no longer need to manually organize the forms.

Action 2: New customers “Trust to break the ice” (within 3 days after adding friends)

Value content + light interaction to avoid “advertising sense”：New customers are the most sensitive to “hard marketing”, and only by replacing “product advertising” with “useful content” can initial trust be established. 

Practical steps：

1. Send “demand-related value content”: Match content according to customer tags, such as：
   • Label“HalloweenDemand": Send “3 Halloween jack-o-lantern decoration scenes (with installation drawings)", copywriting: “See you pay attention to Halloween decoration~ Share a few scenes with good customer feedback, the installation is super simple, feel free to ask me if you have any questions~” 
   • Label “Bulk purchase”: Send “3 pit avoidance points for bulk purchase of LED lights (such as material and logistics timeliness)", copywriting: “Many bulk customers will step on these pits at the beginning, share it for your reference, if you have specific needs, you can talk to me~” 
2. Do “low pressure interaction”: Use “Ask questions” to guide customers to reply and avoid cold scenes, such as：
   • To C-terminal customers: “Do you prefer warm or cold light for Halloween decorations?" ” 
   • To the B-side customer: “Your bulk purchase is mainly used for store decoration or event layout?" ” 
3. Avoid “low-quality touch“ and use tools to do "temperature touch”: In this link, many businesses can easily fall into misunderstandings-relying on manual mass distribution of “the same greeting”, the result is blocked by customers, and even recognized by the platform as spam.Title。 In fact, "mass distribution” is not a problem, the key isHow to send it in bulk, who to send it to, and what to send。

This is the value of smart tools. To Mixdesk For example, it can help you achieve high-quality layered reach in the ”new customer ice breaking" stage.：

• Intelligent anti-sealing control mechanism: The system adopts the methods of ”multi-conversation rotation“ and ”multi-account rotation" to avoid repeated triggering of platform risk control, and the anti-blocking rate is significantly higher than the traditional mass distribution method.
• Accurate label mass distribution: Support the import of customer information from the customer database or external forms, and push it in groups according to “interests, regions, purchase stages” and other conditions to achieve hierarchical ice-breaking, so that each message is like “exclusive communication” instead of “mass advertising”.

At this stage, the key to building trust is not to “send more”, but to “send it accurately.” Use intelligent tools instead of mechanical mass distribution, so that every “ice breaking” is more like a natural exchange, rather than a passive sales message. Mixdesk The logic is not "faster mass distribution”, but “smarter communication”. Through differentiated content, intelligent rotation mechanism and security anti-blocking strategy, you can reach in batches without being blunt, while automated communication retains temperature.

4. Pit avoidance reminder: Do not send "meaningless greetings” (such as “are you there?" ”), do not post “links to all categories of products” to avoid customers feeling that “you just want to sell the goods.”

Action 3: “Experience lock” for new customers (3-7 days after placing the order)

Take the initiative to visit + solve the problem, repurchase the seeds and bury them：The “sense of experience” of the first transaction directly determines whether the customer will repurchase, take the initiative to follow up on the “usage” and solve potential problems, which can greatly increase the willingness to repurchase. 

Practical steps：

1. Logistics node follow-up: When the package is shipped and signed for, take the initiative to synchronize the progress, such as: “Your LED light has been signed for ~ If you have any installation problems after unboxing, please feel free to contact me to install the video. You may need to pay attention to the wiring method for the first time~” 
2. Return visit after use: 3 days after the customer signs for it, a “light return visit” will be sent, for example: "I want to ask how is your experience with LED lights?" Have you encountered any situations where it does not light up or flashes? ” 
3. Problem solving + Paving the way for repurchase: If the customer has a problem, quickly provide a solution (such as sending a repair tutorial, arranging a reissue); if the customer feedback is good, take advantage of the situation to provide "follow-up benefits“, such as: "I'm glad you think it's easy to use~ We will issue the same series of Christmas models in the future, and the old customers will have the right to purchase first, and then in advance.Tell you~” 

Action 4: Select “exclusive activation” (30-90 days after the transaction)

Differentiated benefits + emotional interaction to avoid "preferential dependence”：There is no shortage of “small discounts” for old customers. What is missing is the “feeling of being valued”. Using “exclusive benefits + emotional links” can increase the repurchase rate by 50%. 

Practical steps：

1. Exclusive welfare design: Welfare should be “non-inclusive and justified”, such as：
   • Exclusive price for old customers: “You are our old customer. This new product has an exclusive price for you, which is 15% lower than the previous new price, only for today~” 
   • Personalized recommendation: "Remember that you bought red jewelry last time. The new earrings of the same series match well. I left you 2 pairs. Would you like to take a look? ” 
   • Holiday care: On the customer's birthday/local holiday, send “no threshold small benefits”, such as: "Happy Birthday! I sent you a 50 yuan no threshold coupon, available within 7 days, pick something you like~” 
2. Emotional interaction skills: Occasionally talk about "non-product topics” to get closer, such as：
   • To Bao Ma customer: “Before I saw you, I said that children like Halloween decorations. Have you taken your children to pick pumpkins recently? ” 
   • To the B-side customer: “Your store should be very busy with Halloween activities, right? Do we need to arrange replenishment in advance? ” 
3. Pit avoidance reminder: Benefits do not need to ”use money every time“, such as ”priority delivery, free engraving“ and other low-cost benefits, which are more exclusive than ”full reduction".

Action 5: “Deep binding” of high-value customers (once a month after the transaction)

Customized service + long-term value, become a "loyal customer”： For companies, high-value customers are the core of profit and reputation. They bring the most repurchase, recommendation and long-term cooperation opportunities. However, such customers are often demanding, communicate frequently, and are sensitive to response speed. Manual maintenance alone is not only easy to fatigue, but may also cause loss due to delays or inconsistent information. If you want them to truly "stay for a long time and buy more”, you need to add systematization and systematization to the service.IntelligenceThe support.

Practical steps：

1. Dedicated service configuration: Assign “dedicated customer service” to high-value customers, such as: "You are our important customer, and I am specifically responsible for following up on your needs. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me without waiting in line~” 
2. Customized support: Provide additional value according to customer needs, such as：
   • Batch customers on the B side: “I know you want 100 LED lights per month. We have reserved exclusive inventory for you. You don't have to wait for production. You can ship it in 2 days after placing the order~” 
   • C-end high-consumption customers: “We have a new limited edition of your favorite designer series. We left you one piece in advance. Do you need to reserve it for you?" ”
3. Long-term value output: Share industry information that is helpful to customers, such as sending the “2025 Christmas Decoration Trend Report” to customers on the B side, and “home furnishing skills” to customers on the C side, so that customers feel that “cooperating with you can not only buy products, but also get information.”
4. Smart tool empowerment：It has evolved from “artificial relationship” to “intelligent management”. Although manual follow-up is meticulous, it faces dozens or even hundreds of high-value customers.，People alone can't be too busy.At this time, an intelligent customer service system can become the “second hand” of an enterprise.

To Mixdesk Intelligent Customer Service SystemFor example：

• AI staff = exclusive customer service that will never be offline

Mixdesk supports custom AI employee settings, such as：

Configure a “professional and stable” AI customer service for VIP customers, focusing on after-sales and repurchase reminders；

Configure a “warm and lively” welcome AI for new customers to guide them to understand new products and promotions.

these AI staffIntegrating advanced top-level language models such as ChatGPT and DeepSeek, it can understand the context, recognize intent, and maintain the brand tone consistent like a real person. When you are not online, it can still maintain professional and natural communication, so that customers are always "connected".

• Automated Workflow = Accompany the whole process from first contact to repurchase MixdeskautomationThe process can automatically trigger actions based on the set business scenario and customer behavior：
  • Customer's first consultation → The system recognizes the language, automatically labels and sends a welcome message；
  • Customers ask standard questions → AI automatically calls the template to reply instantly；
  • The customer enters the “order number"→ The system automatically queries the logistics information；
  • The customer shows the intention to purchase → automatically transfer to manual customer service for follow-up.

Through tools, you no longer need to manually filter messages and find records, but let AI help you complete basic tasks and intelligent judgments, and the time for manual customer service can also be reserved for valuable relationship management.

Action 6: Data recovery (once a month)

Look at the core indicators and optimize the maintenance strategy：Customer relationship operations are not “based on feelings”, and only by using data to find “which types of customers are lost a lot and which maintenance methods are effective” can they be continuously optimized. 

Core recovery indicators + optimization direction：

1. Customer retention rate: Calculate the "30-day/90-day retention rate”. If the retention rate of new customers is low, it means that “trust breaking the ice is not done well”, and the value content needs to be optimized; if the retention rate of old customers is low, it means that “the sense of exclusivity is insufficient”, and the welfare design needs to be adjusted. 
2. Interactive open rate: Statistics on the "open rate of messages sent to customers”. If the open rate is less than 20%, it means “the sending time is wrong” or “the content is unattractive”. Different time periods and content types need to be tested. 
3. Repurchase trigger point: Look at “the last action before the customer repurchases”, such as “repurchase after receiving exclusive benefits” and “repurchase after seeing new product recommendations”. The frequency of such actions can be increased in the future. 

What is the ultimate goal of the customer relationship?

Not to let customers buy more, butMake customers more willing to stay。 The most successful customer relationship management is not sales, but companionship-you show up when the customer needs it, and you are silent when the customer is satisfied. A stable customer relationship network is the strongest growth engine of an enterprise.

Mixdesk The intelligent customer service system makes this kind of "long-term companionship" possible：

• It understands the customer's language, rhythm and preferences；
• It helps you remember every interaction；
• It makes the brand no longer “cold", but “warm”.

If a customer trusts you once, it is a transaction; if they trust you ten times, it is a brand. In this era of intelligence，Mixdesk Let customer relationships move from ”human-driven" to "intelligent collaboration”：

Make customers more satisfied, make communication more efficient, and make relationships more lasting.

FAQ

Q1: Do SMEs also need a customer relationship management system?

A: Of course it is needed. Customer relationship management is not just exclusive to large companies. Mixdesk provides a lightweight version of the solution to help small and medium-sized sellers achieve customer layering, automated follow-up and data tracking at low cost.

Q2: Can the customer relationship management system replace manual customer service?

A: It can't be completely replaced, but it can greatly improve efficiency. AI customer service can handle 80% of routine inquiries, allowing manual focus on high-value customer communication.

Q3: How can customers not feel disturbed by ”automation"?

A: The key lies in “personalization variables” and "scene triggering". Mixdesk supports inserting customer names, order numbers, preferred products and other information in mass distribution templates, which are automated without losing temperature.

Q4: How to ensure the security of data using the customer relationship management system?

A: High-quality systems such as Mixdesk use top-of-the-line encryption technology, end-to-end encryption and hierarchical rights management, and data is stored in Amazon Web Services to ensure data security and compliance.

Q5: Does Mixdesk support multilingual customer relationship management?

A: Support. The system has built-in real-time translation in more than 100 languages and can upload a custom term base, which is particularly suitable for cross-border merchants to communicate with global customers.