Your VIP segment will be much stronger if you define it by a specific value threshold rather than a generic top 10%. The goal is to find the actual inflection point where a customer becomes truly loyal, because those are the people who will respond best to VIP treatment. This focus on behavior is the key to effective customer segmentation.
Kunle Campbell made this point on his 2X eCommerce Podcast, suggesting a simple rule like creating a segment for customers who have ordered more than six times. Similarly, on eCommerce Uncensored, Kevin Monell talked about rewarding customers who have purchased multiple times with better discounts than the general audience. This is about rewarding demonstrated loyalty, not just identifying a percentile. The other way to look at it is through total value, as Nathan Abbott mentioned on Ecommerce Coffee Break when he suggested segmenting by the top percentile of customer lifetime value.
The key is finding that tipping point. On Honest Ecommerce, Eugene Ravitsky called this the 'inflection point' where you know a customer will keep buying from you if you treat them like a VIP. Your first step isn't to open Klaviyo, it's to analyze your store's data. Look for the total spend or number of orders that separates your truly best customers from the rest. That is your VIP threshold.