How to Identify and Handle Different Types of Customers Effectively

We’ve all been customers at some point, and our experiences vary based on our needs, choices, and personalities. These differences are exactly what define the types of customers you interact with every day.

Every customer has a unique trait that sets them apart. Some are deal-driven, others are loyal, and some just want fast answers. Recognizing these traits is the first step to delivering exceptional customer service.

When you understand what motivates each type of customer, you can tailor your approach, build trust, and turn one-time buyers into lifelong fans.

In this blog, we’ll discuss types of customers, their key qualities, and actionable strategies to win each one.

12 Most common types of customers

The key to success in the business world is knowing the type of customers. You can interact with them more by looking into qualities beyond their facial values. Here are some of the various categories of customers that you will definitely encounter in your business today.

New customers

A new customer is an individual who buys your product, service, or subscription for the first time. It is natural for new customers to have questions about the brand or product.

What they need:

• Smooth onboarding: Provide them with an outstanding customer onboarding process as well as exceptional support.
• 24/7 help: Provide them with fast and reliable round the clock assistance on the basic concerns they may have.

Impulse customers

These are types of customers who buy products instantaneously. An impulse customer does not spend a lot of time researching the products and mostly buys based on their emotions.

What they need:

• Quik replies: Make your responses as fast as possible before they change their minds. Leverage AI agents to instantly analyze customer queries and deliver smart, context-aware responses in real time. In addition, use live chat to provide immediate assistance.

• Minimize obstacles: Clear anything that may distract the customer or waste their time.

How to win impulse customers:

• Transparency: By making the interaction simple and concise, clearly address their concerns on return policies, warranty details for the product, and product use cases.

Quick, effective customer support: Make their decision-making process easier by answering their concerns directly. Stick to the most important details, making your response short, fast, and emotion provoking.

Loyal customers

These are types of customers who make repeated purchases of your products or services and will always be back for more. In most cases, they act as customer advocates for your product through their use cases and referrals.

They are highly knowledgeable about your product or service and will use this to convince others of the benefits of using it. As the gold standard, loyal customers will always expect similar or better services.

What they need:

• Proper motivation: Use incentives and loyalty reward programs to motivate them to make referrals and remain loyal.
• Credit their work: Mention them in an article, customer stories, or a case study to provide them with exposure.

Potential customers

Individuals who are not officially customers because they are yet to make a purchase but have shown a significant interest in the product or service.

These are customers are at the awareness stage and have either subscribed to your newsletter, filled out a contact form, or made an inquiry through their preferred communication channel such as emails, social media, or phones.

At this stage, they are mainly looking for the X factor that separates your brand from others.

What they need:

• Constant customer communication: Constantly initiate communication to keep them engaged and ensure your support team is always available to help whenever needed.
• Good user experience: Make the first impression count by having an appealing website design.

Discount customers

They know what they want but are not willing to pay the actual price for the product or service. Instead, these bargain hunters take their time looking for other buyers offering the same product but at a lower price.

Such customers only consider the pricing of the product and are the least loyal. They will normally conduct research to find information about the product and the discount offer, if any.

Research by Capterra shows that up to 86% of online customers will try a new business if they have coupons.

What they need:

• A subsidized pricing plan: This can be achieved by offering discounted prices on your products or services.
• Affirmation of value: Assure the customers that despite the discounts, the products are still valuable and worth their while.

Need-based customers

These customers buy only what they need. They already know what they want, so they’re not easily convinced to explore other options. They visit your site, find the product that meets their customer needs and leave.

What they need:

• Clear information: Provide all the relevant and important information that will inform their decision making.
• Match their expectations: Ensure the services are quality and live up to their expected standards.

Browsers (wandering customers)

These are curious types of customers that are responsible for most of the traffic to your website; however, they have no intention of making a purchase. Despite increasing traffic on your website, they have the lowest percentage of sales revenue.

What they need:

• Appealing website: Make sure the website is both visually engaging and easy to navigate, while consistently incorporating branding elements such as logos, colors, and typography to reinforce brand identity.

• Proactive customer support: Always reach out first to users visiting your website to provide them with support when necessary.

Unhappy customers

According to a recent study by Zippia, 91% of customers won’t willingly do business again with a company that left them unhappy.

Regardless of the business, unhappy customer are an inevitable lot that will always be a part and parcel of customer service. Dealing with these client types is not the easiest task either, and it requires the best customer support service to solve their problems.

They are either unhappy with your services or are having a bad day. It rests upon you to ensure that the frustrations are met.

What they need:

• Recognition of the problem: Apologize and address their concerns transparently with valid solutions.
• Customer follow-up: Confirm whether their problems have been handled appropriately to meet their demands.

Active customers

These are types of clients who constantly buy your products or services. They are different from loyal customers because they can easily switch to your competitors if they get a better offer.

What they need:

• Constant communication: Because of their volatility, they need to be sure that you value their presence.
• Prompt response to their criticism: Stay on top of any negativity that may come via their criticisms by apologizing and providing the customer with proper solutions to their concerns.

Referral customers

Any kind customer referred by a loyal client is likely to engage with your business, as the recommendation comes from someone they trust. These customers are known as referred clients and often begin their journey with a positive perception of your brand

What they need:

• Smooth onboarding: Provide a comprehensive and clear customer onboarding plan that promotes the levels of engagement.

Confused customers

Among the many types of customers, accidental visitors stand out, they stumble upon your site by chance and often need extra guidance before and after making a purchase. Their journey is rarely straightforward, requiring clear communication to convert curiosity into commitment.

What they need:

• Clear explanations: Because they lack information on your business, ensure that you provide transparent and precise information on your products or services.
• Guaranteed quality: Assure the customers that they have made the best choice engaging your business.

You can leverage BoldDesk’s omnichannel customer service to allow customers choose the platform that’s most convenient for them especially when they’re indecisive or exploring options.

Lapsed customers

These are your previous customers; however, they haven’t interacted with your business for a long time. The reasons for this could be lack of value, switching to competitors, lack of motivation or interest, or changed preferences.

What they need:

• Reassurance on improved services: Prove to the customers that you have made positive changes to your brand. Assure them of the changes or solutions made to the services.
• Focused reactivation campaign: Create a campaign with incentives meant to win back the customers.

How can you identify different types of customers?

Recognizing the different types of customers is crucial for any business to customize their services to meet specific customer needs. The following points can be used to identify customer types:

• Gaining customer feedback: Use surveys, interviews, and customer reviews to share their opinions, preferences, and levels of satisfaction.
• Conducting research: Research by collecting data on age, gender, preference, and purchasing power to learn about your different types of customers.
• Segmentation: Divide your types of customers using demographics, behavior, and geography to identify their motivational features.
• Social media interaction: Stay active with any information shared in online spaces to gain information on needs for the different types of customers.
• Use CRM system: By analyzing features such as customer behavior and preferences, it is possible to identify the standards and patterns that will better engage your types of customers.
• Review customer interactions: To stay in the loop, identify common questions or products shared by your types of customers in their different interactions to determine their needs.

Connect with all types of customers by putting their needs first

Winning in business isn’t just about having a great product, it’s about knowing who you’re selling to. By understanding the different types of customers and what drives them, you unlock the power to sell smarter, faster, and better.

Use these insights to turn casual visitors into loyal fans, and watch your brand grow like never before. Ready to dominate your market? Start by classifying your customers.

At BoldDesk, we believe that understanding your customers is the first step to delivering unforgettable service. Our features including customer segmentation, sentiment analysis, and workflow automation, give you deep insight into the different types of customers you serve.

All the customer types will have specific needs based on their concerns, preferences, and relationships with the company. Contact us to learn how BoldDesk can help you turn customer understanding into long-term success.

Have thoughts or questions? Leave a comment below, we’d love to hear from you.

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