Online business

Great Customer Service as a Marketing Strategy: Turning Happy Customers into Loyal Advocates

8 min read
Mar 6, 2025

Everyone knows good customer service is important. A whopping 93% of customers will likely buy from a company again after experiencing excellent customer service.

Why? It makes people feel valued and want to return to a business.

But what if offering excellent customer service was more than making current customers happy? What if you could actually make it part of a powerful marketing strategy to make sales rep attract new customers?

In this post, we’ll explore how focusing on great customer service can turn satisfied customers into loyal advocates for your business and brand values and why that’s so valuable.

The connection between customer service and marketing

Great customer service directly impacts how customers view your brand. Positive experiences build trust and brand loyalty. On the other hand, negative customer interactions can damage your brand’s reputation and deter potential customers. 

And the scary part is, a lot of times, you won’t even know about a bad experience. Only 1 in 26 unhappy customers complain. And the rest will just stop doing business with you. 

Word-of-mouth recommendations are another way effective customer service can lead to successful marketing. Satisfied customers naturally become brand advocates. 

Word of mouth marketing diagram

That’s why a great experience doesn’t end when a visitor walks out the door. It stays with them, shaping how they talk about it, who they recommend it to, and whether they come back. 

The Utah Beach Museum understands this. It’s not just a collection of artifacts. It’s a place where history is told in a way that sticks with people. Every exhibit, every interaction with staff, every detail is designed to make visitors feel like they’ve stepped into the past. And when people feel something, they talk about it.

As a result, the museum has countless reviews from visitors who don’t just say they liked it. They go into detail about what made it unforgettable. But the impact goes beyond reviews. The museum’s reputation is so strong that history enthusiasts, travelers, and researchers have taken it upon themselves to write blogs, guides, and recommendations about the historical museums in Normandy

That kind of organic marketing doesn’t come from ads. It comes from delivering something so good that people feel compelled to share it. The best customer service isn’t about making a sale; it’s about creating an experience that people want to pass on.

Utah Beach Museum's customer reviews

Key elements of great customer service that drive loyalty

A positive customer experience (CX) keeps people coming back. Let’s dive into the core elements that make these exceptional customer experiences so exceptional.

Personalization

No one wants to feel like just another number. Personalization makes customers feel like you designed the CX just for them. 

What’s personalization, you say? It could be remembering customers’ preferences, tailoring recommendations, or following up with a thoughtful message, 

The more personalized the experience, the stronger the emotional connection. And that’s what builds loyalty. The proof: 56% of consumers will return to a company if they have a positive, personalized experience.

Look at Spotify for example. The music streaming app is well-known for personalizing the listening experience by offering tailored playlist recommendations.

Spotify' email personalized playlists

Responsiveness

In a world where instant gratification is the norm, slow responses can cost you customers. Quick and effective communication shows that you respect their time and concerns. 

Whether it’s a chatbot answering simple questions or a live chat session with a customer service representative resolving issues fast, responsiveness can turn a potential frustration into a lasting positive impression.

Consistency

Creating loyal customers is all about delivering excellence every time, with every interaction. Maybe a customer is shopping online. 

Maybe they’re calling support. Or, perhaps they’re visiting your store. No matter the touchpoint, the experience should feel seamless. This is the consistency people are looking for. 

And when they can count on you to make that happen each time they do business with you, they’ll keep coming back and, more importantly, recommend you to others.

Empowerment 

Great service also means giving customers the tools and knowledge they need to feel in control. 

When customers can easily find answers through self-service options, track orders in real time, or make changes to their accounts without hassle, it reduces frustration and builds confidence in your brand.

Let’s look at an example.

Looking at how Henry Meds handles its testosterone therapy business shows us something valuable about customer service: when you make healthcare less daunting for people, they'll tell others about it. 

Its impressive 4.7 Trustpilot score didn't come from fancy marketing. 

Henry meds customer reviews

It came from giving patients what they actually need: clear pricing without surprises, regular face-time with doctors through video calls, and medications delivered to their door. 

In an industry where people often feel confused or overwhelmed, this straightforward approach has turned grateful patients into enthusiastic advocates who share their positive experiences with others. 

This proves that genuine customer care can be your most powerful marketing tool. 

Proactive Support

The best service prevents problems, not just reacts to them. Proactive support means anticipating customer needs before they even reach out. 

This could include sending reminders, customer service or support agents offering helpful resources or checking in after a purchase.

As a business, you go out of your way to make lives easier. People remember this, and they tell others all about their amazing experience.

Customer service marketing strategies to turn happy customers into brand advocates

Here’s how you can use customer service as a marketing tool to build lasting customer relationships and create loyal advocates.

Personalize the customer experience

People appreciate brands that treat them like individuals, not just another sale. 

Personalization can be as simple as using a customer’s name in emails or as advanced as tailoring recommendations based on past purchases. 

These strategies can make a difference:

When pet parents sign up for Little Beast’s email newsletter, they can enter their pet’s birthdate. When that day comes, Little Beast will send a personalized email celebrating the four-legged friend’s birthday, offering a special discount and product recommendations.

Personalized birthday email

Encourage and showcase customer testimonials 

88% of people trust personal recommendations the most out of all channels. This is why one of the best ways to build brand trust is through real customer experiences, and Tailor Brands’ customer reviews show exactly how that works. 

Many users highlight how intuitive and stress-free the branding process is, which naturally encourages them to recommend it to others. 

That’s how customer satisfaction turns into long-term business growth and customer loyalty.

Tailor Brands customer reviews

Follow these tips to start using positive reviews as social proof, customer retention, and how marketing teams build credibility with new customers:

Be responsive

Customers expect fast, efficient service. And a slow response can turn even the happiest customer into a frustrated one. 

Being responsive shows that you respect their time and care about their experience.

So, be sure to answer inquiries quickly. Consider using multiple communication channels. Whether it’s an email, social media comment, or live chat, responding in a timely manner reassures customers that their concerns matter.

LiveChat is a great tool for helping businesses provide real-time assistance, boost sales, and improve service efficiency. 

It uses AI to handle routine issues, which resolves up to 80% of common questions. That way, your support teams can focus on more complex customer needs.

LiveChat software

Implement a loyalty and referral program

People love rewards, and a well-designed loyalty or referral program can turn occasional buyers into dedicated fans. 

Consider offering discounts, exclusive perks, or even free products in exchange for repeat purchases or referrals. 

Engage with customers on social media

Social media is a direct line to your customers. 

Reply to comments, answer questions, and reshare user-generated content (UGC). Showing appreciation for your customers in public spaces builds trust and credibility.

Surprise and delight customers

Sometimes, the little things make the biggest impact. A handwritten thank-you note, a surprise discount, or an unexpected freebie can turn a standard transaction into a memorable experience.

These moments create an emotional connection with customers, which makes them more likely to return and share their experiences with others.

Build a community around your brand

Sure, getting customers to buy your product is the ultimate goal. And yes, customers really do use products to make their lives easier in some way or achieve a goal.

But did you know that they also want to be part of something bigger? Create spaces where they can connect, share experiences, and engage with your brand on a deeper level.

Facebook groups, subreddits, online forums, or even in-person events can help you foster a strong sense of community. 

Final thoughts

So, we’ve seen how exceptional customer service is about building relationships and creating experiences that resonate. 

And in a world saturated with marketing noise, those authentic voices, those personal recommendations, they’ll make your brand stand out.

You can say how great your product excellent service is over and over. But a satisfied brand advocate can do the same, just one time, and convert a potential buyer into a brand new customer.

That’s the power of strong customer service. As a result, you’ll have people raving over your brand. And that means there are many many more sales to come.