Increasing customer loyalty at your childcare centre

Reputation is one of the most important marketing tools for child and daycare centres. If parents become dissatisfied with your service, they are likely to not just remove their child from your care, but also share their negative experiences with other potential clients.

Comparatively, a happy parent can become a reliable source of recurring revenue and, the more positive their time, the more likely they are to recommend your centre to their friends.

Keeping parents happy does not have to be an expensive or exhausting endeavour. In fact, with a few straightforward business tweaks, you may find that charming the adults is significantly easier than entertaining the kids.

Here are three simple ways you can effectively reduce customer churn and build a formidable, loyal client pool for your childcare centre.

Make things easy

A parent who requires the regular services of a daycare centre is generally going to be time-poor and potentially under stress. Looking after a child is no easy feat, particularly when coupled with work and other commitments.

It is crucial that your centre supports ease of use and simplicity. One function that is particularly easy to streamline is payments. By offering direct debit solutions, you enable the parents to automatically pay their bills each cycle without having to fill out unnecessary paperwork or spend extra time at your centre.

Direct debit systems are not only beneficial for your families, they can also help improve staff productivity. This lets you and your staff concentrate on the aspect of your business that really matters – the children.

Open clear communication channels

Parents who entrust you with their children appreciate being kept in the loop regarding their care. If a new teacher is hired, protective mums and dads will likely prefer to hear this news first hand, rather than from their child at the end of the day.

Consider setting up a designated spot in the centre for parents to read centre information and other communication. Just make sure this area is kept out of reach of the children, to avoid sticky fingers and crayons hiding important messages.

Similarly, if a parent has information they need to share with you, such as a child's allergy or reason for absence, simple channels will need to be in place to ensure these details get through.

The best solutions are often the most simple. And when you're busy, they may seem out of reach. Take a break, breath deep, and plan your way to save time and money in your centre.