Do you have two ride-hailing apps on your phone? (Likely Uber and Bolt.) Is your cell phone dual-SIM, with each slot housing a different mobile network? (Probably Safaricom and Airtel.) Have you ever MPESA-d 160 shillings in two instalments—100 and 60—just to avoid transaction charges? What does that say about you? What does it say about customer fidelity?
That’s what I want us to talk about today. Customer fidelity is dead. Today’s customer has no fidelity. And it’s not personal—it’s strategic. Customers are no longer loyal by default—not to brands, not to platforms, not even to discounts. They are loyal to value. Their value.
As a 20-something once informed us, in a strategic planning session for a financial institution, “I don’t understand this Sacco thing—the hassle of guarantors and this ‘stability of institution’ you guys keep talking about. What I want is a loan accessible on my phone. I don’t care who’s behind the app.”
You see, gone are the days when a customer would say “I only fly KQ,” or “I always buy my bread from that corner shop.” Today, loyalty is fluid—and it’s only getting worse.
Absolutely, customer fidelity is not guaranteed.
Why customer fidelity is dying
With rapidly changing technologies, a generation raised in the digital age, explosive product options, and brutally honest reviews on social media, we’re operating in a new world. The modern customer is empowered, informed, and impatient. They don’t wait for you to catch up—they leave you behind.
Like you do when you switch YouTube channels searching for the right video. Or close a website that takes too long to load. And when you abandon a checkout process because it demands a lengthy login or creates friction. Or when you cancel that Bolt ride because the driver isn’t moving—or isn’t moving fast enough.
Customer fidelity has become the exception, not the rule. Customers aren’t cheating on you because they’re disloyal. They’re doing it because they can. Because options are endless. Because the cost of switching has collapsed. And because someone else just made it easier, faster, cheaper—or more delightful. Like Super Metro has done, with dignity, in an otherwise chaotic transport system.
Customer fidelity has become the exception, not the rule. Customers aren’t cheating on you because they’re disloyal. They’re doing it because they can.
The salesperson’s dilemma
So, what does this mean for the salesperson?
It means you cannot afford to sit on your laurels. Last month’s good service won’t earn you next month’s sale. A two-year contract doesn’t mean emotional commitment. Your clients may be with you—but mentally, they’re still shopping around.
Just like with the news, they don’t even have to look—better options now find them. A single WhatsApp forward is enough to spark curiosity. One quick Google search, and the algorithms awaken, stretching their unseen tentacles through the endless depths of the internet, delivering exactly what they didn’t know they needed—faster, smarter, and more convincingly than ever before.
Worse still, they may not even tell you they’re leaving. They’ll just disappear. No complaints. No warning. Just ghosted. One week you’re the hero. The next, they’re replying to your WhatsApp with “We’ll get back to you.” Or, God forbid, block your number.
Sound familiar?
With customer (in)fidelity, adapt or be replaced
Here’s the harsh truth: In a world of no customer fidelity, follow-up isn’t a task—it’s a lifestyle. And value isn’t something you mention—it’s something you demonstrate. Repeatedly.
Like Safaricom does when your home Wi-Fi goes down—not only do they apologize, they send you 5GB for free.
You must evolve from a transaction-pusher to a value-partner. You must be present, without being a pest. And you must anticipate problems before they happen, offer solutions before they’re asked for, and genuinely care—beyond the sale.
Now you understand why Safaricom sends you a survey after every interaction—and why Uber lets you rate your driver.
Think of it this way: If your customer is dating multiple vendors, how do you become the one they keep texting back?
Loyalty is still possible—but it’s earned differently
Ironically, in this loyalty-agnostic world, the salesperson who is predictably helpful stands out. Customers may not commit to companies anymore, but they still become loyal to people. Especially those who make their lives easier, keep their promises, and stay one step ahead.
“The Wi-Fi is down in your area and we’re working to restore the service. We apologize for the inconvenience caused.” That’s the pre-recorded message I received on the first ring when I called Safaricom to complain. Yes, about Wi-Fi going down. That’s value. That’s proactive care.
And make no mistake—I’m not suggesting Safaricom has arrived. Not at all. No one ever truly does. Success lies in the constant pursuit. After all, we sometimes complain about Safaricom, yet we rarely leave—telling ourselves it’s because of M-PESA.
You never quite there
Loyalty today isn’t about emotional ties. It’s about consistent, frictionless, human value. It’s about saving time, anticipating needs, and respecting people’s attention. And occasionally things will fall through the cracks. Sometimes tragically. Like the two accidents—one of them fatal—involving Super Metro Sacco this year. The question customers are silently asking, as they watch and wait, is this: “Will they seal the cracks?”
You don’t win loyalty by locking people in—you win it by making it hard to leave. Not with contracts, but with constant, small, thoughtful acts. Like the kibanda owner who says, “Wacha nikungezee ugali, naona kitoweo bado kipo. Sikulipishi. Wewe ni customer wetu.” (Let me add some ugali for free—you still have stew. No charge. You’re our customer.)
A word to business owners and managers on customer fidelity
If you manage sales teams or run a business, don’t just preach loyalty. Design for it. Make it easy for customers to stay. Just as with Uber, Super Metro is built from the ground up to enhance the customer experience.
That means better after-sales support. Simpler interfaces—especially on your app. Faster response times. And yes—training your salespeople to stop chasing orders and start building relationships. To focus on making a customer, not just a sale. Even something as basic as replying to a customer email quickly can make the difference.
And it means accepting this: Loyalty must be earned again and again.
So, what does customer fidelity say about you?
Let’s go back to our opening examples. You—the double-app, twin-SIM, fee-dodging, digital customer—what does that say about you? It says you’re smart. It says you value value. And it says you’ll switch for ten shillings—if it makes sense. And it says that you, too, are someone’s customer.
Now flip the coin: What are your customers saying about you?
If they’re shopping around, switching apps, and ghosting your follow-ups, maybe it’s not disloyalty. Maybe they’ve simply found better value—elsewhere.
So, here’s the question: In a world where customers have no fidelity, how will you make them stay?
Check out our short courses. Alternatively, if you would like to have your sales team sell more, we can help. In order for us to do so we propose a free consultation meeting or a call. If in agreement please complete the form below and we will get in touch after receiving your details, none of which will be public. Thank you.
Views – 3