What does listening to a customer and responding to their needs contribute to?

Listening to a customer and responding to their needs significantly contributes to enhancing customer loyalty. When customers feel heard and understood, it builds a strong emotional connection between them and the business. This positive interaction fosters trust and satisfaction, making customers more likely to return for future purchases.

By addressing their concerns and preferences, the business is demonstrating that it values the customer, which can translate into long-term relationships. Loyal customers not only continue to choose the brand or business but are also more inclined to recommend it to others, further solidifying the brand's reputation and customer base.

The other options, while related to customer service, do not capture the same direct benefit that listening and responsiveness provide in terms of loyalty. transactional relationships may imply a more superficial interaction that lacks depth, and decreasing product return rates and increasing store traffic are potential byproducts of good service, but they aren't as directly linked to the core principle of customer loyalty as active listening and responsiveness are.