“What is one effective strategy for using technology to maintain customer loyalty while rapidly scaling your business?”
Here is what thought leaders had to say.
Smart CRM Workflows Create Authentic Customer Connections
I always preach using automation without having to sacrifice an actual human touch because of how effective it’s been for me. When Cafely started picking up momentum, our repeat customers were the backbone of our growth; as orders exploded though, so did the risk of making loyal customers feel like just another transaction.
So we set up smart CRM workflows that tracked key moments: first purchase, birthdays, 6-month anniversaries, even when someone hadn’t bought in a while. But instead of generic emails, we personalized every touchpoint with small details like recommending products based on past buys or sending a “We miss you!” note with a special perk.
We also made sure that if someone replied, they got a real human response fast and not an endless bot loop. Customers will stick around when they feel remembered and valued, and when you’re scaling like we did, that’s worth more than any paid ad campaign.
Mimi Nguyen, Founder, Cafely
Personalized Automation That Still Feels Human
One of the best decisions I made while growing MatchmakingServices.com was integrating a simple CRM tool that let me keep track of where each client was in their journey—without losing that personal touch they came to us for.
At first, I was skeptical. Love and automation? It felt like oil and water. But when I saw I was forgetting tiny things I knew I needed help.
So we started using technology not to replace us, but to remind us. A nudge to check in. A prompt to send that follow-up message. A calendar ping to say, “Hey, how did last night go?”
Clients didn’t know we were using tools behind the scenes. They just felt remembered. And in a service built on trust and connection, that feeling is everything.
Katrina Elbahey, Founder, MatchMaking Services
Keeping It Personal—Even As We Grew
When Radiance Pools started picking up traction, I had one big fear: losing the personal touch that brought our early customers in. You know, those handwritten thank-you notes, the follow-up calls just to check on their pool after a big storm—it mattered. Still does.
One thing that helped us keep that connection alive, even as the work poured in, was using a simple CRM with automated reminders—not for selling, but for caring. For instance, it’d ping me six months after a project was done: “Hey, check in with the Martins. Their anniversary’s coming up—they got that pool for it.” I’d send a quick voice note or a card. Nothing fancy. But real.
I’m not a tech guy by nature. I’m more comfortable with calloused hands than dashboards. But using tools to help me remember people made all the difference. It let us grow without going cold.
Kyle Bernard, Owner, RadiancePools
Simple Tech Tools Help Maintain Personal Client Relationships
One strategy that’s worked really well for us at Merehead is using personalized automation — but with a human touch. As we started growing quickly, it became impossible to remember every client’s project details off the top of my head.
That frustrated me, because personal connection has always been something I value. So we built small internal tools that remind our team about client preferences, project milestones, and even birthdays or business anniversaries.
For example, when a client launches a new product, we’ll send them a quick, personalized note — sometimes with a design tweak or a tip that relates to their project. It’s not fancy AI. It’s just thoughtful use of simple tech, like CRM tagging and email triggers, to stay human at scale.
I think people stay loyal when they feel seen, not when they’re blasted with generic updates. If your tech helps you remember that your client is a person, not a project, you’re on the right track.
Eugene Musienko, CEO, Merehead
Tech Triggers Human Moments for Lasting Partner Loyalty
I’m Cody Jensen, CEO of Searchbloom, where we help SMEs grow with SEO and PPC. Here’s the thing: when you’re scaling fast, it’s easy to treat loyalty like a checkbox. But people can smell that from a mile away. One strategy that’s worked like magic for us is using automation to create moments, not just messages. We set up triggers that ping our team when a partner hits a milestone. Whether it’s a record month in PPC or a year with us. And we respond like humans: a quick video message, a handwritten note, sometimes even a goofy meme if that’s their vibe. The tech just cues the moment, but the heart still has to show up. Loyalty isn’t built on dashboards. It’s built in the gaps where partners feel seen without having to ask for it. That’s where technology, done right, becomes your loyalty engine.
Cody Jensen, CEO & Founder, Searchbloom
Self-Service Portals That Feel Personal
At Insuranks, we were growing fast—but so was the inbox. I noticed that as more customers came in, the personal touch we were proud of started slipping. We’d built trust by being helpful, clear, and responsive. But with volume rising, it was getting harder to keep that up without burning out the team.
That’s when we decided to invest in building a smart, self-service portal—not one of those cold, confusing dashboards that make people feel like they’re on their own. Ours was packed with bite-sized guides, comparison tools, and quote calculators, all written in plain language by licensed agents (like me) who’ve been on the other end of those questions.
Funny enough, giving people more control actually made the experience feel more personal. They didn’t have to wait on us, but they still felt we were right there with them. And when they did reach out, our team had more time to respond thoughtfully—because the portal handled the repetitive stuff.
Nathan Weller, Head of Content and Licensed Insurance Agent, Insuranks