Types of customer loyalty on two axes
The most practical model looks at a customer through two lenses: attitude (do they like and trust you, would they recommend you) and behavior (how often they actually buy). Crossing the two gives four types of customer loyalty.
The value of this split is that it stops you from treating all regular buyers the same way. Each group needs a different action, and a wrong guess wastes budget.
- True loyalty: strong attitude, frequent purchases
- Latent loyalty: strong attitude, rare purchases
- Spurious (false) loyalty: weak attitude, frequent purchases
- No loyalty: weak attitude, rare purchases
True loyalty: protect it
These customers like you and buy regularly. They recommend you, forgive small mistakes and do not jump at the first competitor offer. Thank them, tell them about news first, ask for their opinion and for referrals.
The usual mistake is taking them for granted. A loyal customer who feels ignored is still a customer who can leave.
Latent loyalty: the overlooked group
Latent customers like your brand but buy rarely, and the reason is outside their feelings. The shop is far, opening hours are awkward, the price does not fit every month, the item is often out of stock, or the need simply comes up once in a while.
Picture a restaurant in Yunusabad that a family from Chilanzar adores but visits only for birthdays. In your sales report they look occasional. In reality they may be among your best advocates, and because the attitude already exists, removing the barrier often turns them into truly loyal buyers.
How to remove barriers for latent customers
Distance is solved with delivery, ordering through a Telegram bot, a presence on a marketplace such as Uzum, or a new point in an area with steady demand. If price is the barrier, you do not need to discount everything: a smaller portion, a trial set or a more affordable version is usually enough.
If customers simply forget you, give them reminders and reasons to return: a Telegram message before the season, regular Instagram content, a note about service timing. Ask the group directly what stops them from buying more. A short call or message beats any assumption.
Spurious loyalty and no loyalty
Spurious loyalty looks great in the numbers. The person buys often, but out of habit, convenience, lack of choice or a bonus scheme, like shoppers at the only store in a neighborhood. When a competitor opens nearby, they leave. The way to protect this group is to turn behavior into attitude through better service, quality and personal attention.
Customers with no loyalty buy rarely and choose by price or chance. Some of them fit your target audience and can be introduced to the brand more closely, but spending heavily to keep people who value nothing except discounts rarely pays off.
How to sort your customers into the four groups
You need two sets of data: one for behavior and one for attitude. A simple spreadsheet is enough to start.
- Pull purchase frequency and recency from your CRM, till system or Click and Payme payments.
- Run a short survey: would you recommend us, why do you choose us, what stops you from buying more.
- Combine both sources and place each customer in one of the four groups.
- Set a separate task for every group and check the results on a small test first.
Common mistakes and where to start
The biggest mistake is judging loyalty by purchase frequency alone: you take spurious customers for true ones and lose latent ones. Another is offering discounts to everyone instead of fixing a specific barrier.
If you want help segmenting your customer base and building a retention strategy, the markdev team can work on a marketing strategy based on your real business data. Tell us about your task and we will discuss where it makes sense to begin.
FAQ
What are the four types of customer loyalty?
True, latent, spurious and no loyalty. They come from combining a customer's attitude toward the company with how often they buy.
What is latent loyalty?
It is a situation where a customer likes and trusts your brand but buys rarely because of barriers such as distance, price, availability or infrequent need.
Why is spurious loyalty risky?
The customer looks loyal in your reports, but there is no real attachment. A new competitor or a better offer can take them away quickly.
Do I need a survey if I already have purchase data?
Yes. Purchase data shows behavior but not attitude. Without a survey you cannot tell a latent customer from someone who buys rarely and has no preference.
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