The short answer: put the customers who stopped coming into a group, send them a personal message with a concrete reason to come back and a deadline, and track who returns with a code of its own. If it does not work, try once more from another angle, then stop. Winning back a customer who already knows you usually costs less than finding a new one.
Who counts as inactive
It depends on the business. For a café, someone who has not been in for a month; for a gym, someone who has not trained for a month; for a garage, someone who missed this year's service. Pick the period that makes sense for you and use the records you already have (your sales system, customer cards, bookings) to see who has passed it.
Building the group
| 1 |
Pull the list of inactive customers from your sales system or records, with name and number.
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| 2 |
Check they agreed to receive offers. Having been a customer is not enough. See who you may send to.
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| 3 |
Import the list into an "Inactive" group in the SMS Center, or add the contacts you already have there.
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| 4 |
Refresh the group every month: people who came back leave it, people who passed the period join it.
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What to write
A win-back message is personal: use the customer's name, acknowledge the absence without blaming them, and give a reason to come back now. The parts in square brackets are placeholders for your own details.
| Business |
Message |
| Café or restaurant |
Hi {$contact_first_name}, we miss you! Come back this week and your coffee is on us. [COMPANY]. Opt out: [PHONE] |
| Gym |
Hi {$contact_first_name}, there are new classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Come back this month with no joining fee. [COMPANY] |
| Salon |
Hi {$contact_first_name}, it has been a while since your last cut. 15% off this week. Bookings: [PHONE] |
| Garage |
[COMPANY]: your car's service is overdue. Book by the 15th and get 10% off the oil change. [PHONE] |
One more try, then stop
With a code of its own in each message (see how to measure), you know who came back. For the rest, a few days later, change the angle: instead of a discount, something new; instead of something new, a question ("what could we do better?" with a phone number or a form on your website). If that does not work either, take those numbers out of the offers group or send them far less. Pushing harder only brings opt-out requests.
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Offer something only they get. "An offer for customers we have not seen for a while" makes the message feel meant for that person, not sent to everyone.
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Watch the tone. "You have not visited us for 3 months" can sound like you are keeping tabs. "We miss you" says the same thing kindly. And never write to a customer who stopped coming because they complained, without first sorting out the complaint.
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