Six ways to lose your best customer

Last Updated: January 23, 2013By Tags:

Guest Post by Kathy Cady

It is certainly normal for customers to patronize the products or services of a company which they believe in. These customers would even become loyal patronizers if they know that they are being valued by the company. However, if something goes wrong with the way they are being treated, customers would never hesitate to turn their heads to other companies who offer the same product or service.  If you are an entrepreneur or a businessman, check out the following ways to lose your best customer and avoid doing any of these:

Lack of appreciation

One of the most common reasons that customers turn the other way is because they do not feel that they are being appreciated.  Even a simple “thank you” expressed with the sincerest smile is already enough to make your customers feel appreciated.  However, some business owners are just too busy doing so many things that they forget to do one simple act of appreciation. As a result, their best customers slowly disappear.

Failure to listen

If you hear your customers complain, listen. They are not complaining because of a nonsense thing. If you make it a habit to ignore small complaints, more and more customers will stop patronizing your product or service just because of that complaint which you think is “nonsense”. Listen to them; they have a story to share which can help bring your business to the ladder of success.

Unfulfilled promises

Promises are the salespeople’s most favorite way of making their customers believe.  But, when none of these promises are being fulfilled  your customers would certainly end up feeling that they were only wasting their time and money for your service. Once you promised something, find all ways to fulfil these.  Better yet, avoid promising.  Just continue to deliver the best for your customers.

Low quality service

The best way to maintain your customers’ loyalty is to see to it that your product is constantly updated.  Take the time to ask your customers how you can improve your product or service.  Do not hesitate as well to ask about the flaws that they have observed regarding your service.  This way, your best customers will feel that their voices are heard and their loyalty is being valued.

Failure to take action

The moment you notice that there is something wrong about your service or product or with the way your business is being run, take action right away.  In every business, small problems should not be ignored. Otherwise, these small things will soon escalate and before you know it, you are already losing plenty of your best customers.

Repeating the same mistake

If there are some mistakes along the process of providing service, make sure to ask for apology and avoid doing the same mistake again. Customers would often end up feeling so frustrated and even furious once they find out that they become victims again of the same mistake committed by the same company.

 

About the Author

Kathy Cady writes for the website HowMuchIsIt— A massive collection of cost helping guides that help people around the globe find out what things cost. Feel free to reach out to her on Twitter @howmuchforit.

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To achieve better sales and profits, most companies could be doing more to cultivate business from their existing customers. However, enthusiasm for customer-retaining strategies must not endanger sound customer-getting efforts. How companies balance the two is the big question. To intensify reaching old customers while still seeking new ones, for many firms, will mean changes in market analysis, planning systems, management incentives, and marketing and/or operations organization. In the rush toward growth, consumer marketers have tended to regard success as stemming from obtaining new customers while unwittingly minimizing the importance of satisfying old ones. It is time for more companies to distinguish between their getting and retaining functions, to assess the balance between them, and to remedy any deficiencies in customer retention. This process requires management to value the potential of current customers and to treat them in special ways to get them to keep coming back. Several major elements should be part of the new marketing mix for customer retention: Product extras Keeping customers frequently requires giving them more than the basic product that initially attracted them. Product extras for individual customers over time can play a sales-expansive role. Reinforcing promotions Product promotion works better when aimed at existing customers. If a marketer knows who these customers are, benefits can be obtained by giving them reinforcing communications. Sales force connections The sales force can play a decisive role in the customer-retention function. At a retail or service counter the salesperson is the focal point of the company's strategy and is the firm to the customer. Post-purchase communication A company must anticipate that some customers will encounter either minor or serious problems after purchasing. If the firm is not ready to hear and correct these difficulties, the customer may not repurchase  or may cancel the the relationship. Whether company or customer is at fault, standby post-purchase activities can be instrumental in saving these customers.

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