Why they leave
When a regular stops coming, it’s usually not because of a bad experience. Most often it’s much simpler: they changed schedule, job or route, something new opened nearby or they simply lost the habit. And that can be fixed, because they’re not angry with you: they’ve just forgotten.
How to spot them
First you need to know who is a «regular» and how often they came. Two weeks without seeing a café customer isn’t the same as two weeks without seeing a hair salon customer. The practical rule:
A customer is at risk when they’ve been away more than twice their usual time between visits.
With a paper card it’s impossible to know. With a digital card every visit is recorded and your dashboard automatically separates customers who haven’t come for a while.
What to tell them
The message works best if it’s short, friendly and gives a specific reason to come back that same week:
- «We miss you, Maria. This week your coffee gets double stamps.»
- «We haven’t seen you for a while. We’re saving you 10% off your next haircut until Sunday.»
- «You’re 1 stamp away from your free lunch. Popping in this week?»
The last one is the most powerful: reminding someone they’re close to the reward gives them a reason that’s already theirs.
When to send it
- Early. The more time passes, the harder it is to rebuild the habit.
- Once. If they don’t come back after the first message, wait a while before the next. Insisting every week is the fastest way to get your card deleted.
- With a deadline. «Until Sunday» works better than an open-ended offer.
Automate it
Checking by hand who’s missing is impossible day to day. The practical approach is to schedule an automatic message: when someone goes a certain number of days without coming, the message lands on their phone’s lock screen, with no cost per send. You only decide the text and the gift once. In Fidelizando it’s set up in campaigns and alerts.
And learn from those who don’t return
If a large group of customers stops coming at the same time, look at what changed: opening hours, a price, roadworks outside, a new competitor. Visit data gives you clues you used to have only by intuition.
Frequently asked questions
How many days without coming is too many?
It depends on the business. As a guide, twice the customer’s usual time between visits.
Can I send this message to all my customers?
If it includes an offer, only to those who agreed to receive marketing communications.