Does it feel like your business is stuck? You spend a lot of time and effort gaining new customers and your hope is that you can grow over time. However, if you lose just as many customers as you gain, it can feel like you are spinning your wheels and not creating any momentum. Fortunately, by correcting a few failures on your business’ end, you can increase the number of customers that come back repeatedly. Here are five mistakes that can drive customers away.
Customer Service Failures
Customer service is the lifeblood of your company. Without good customer service, you will definitely lose customers and it will also make it more difficult to get new clients as well. We all make mistakes and our customers intrinsically understand this. No one expects you to be perfect one hundred percent of the time, but you will only get so many chances, so you should always strive for perfection. How we handle customer service issues can make a huge difference in how likely a person is to come back. Each issue is an opportunity to delight your customers with your willingness to make things right.
No Expectation Management
Setting the right expectations for your employees from the get-go is a good way to help your customers be satisfied with their experience with your business. What level of service do your customers receive compared to their expectations? If your marketing message over-promises, customers are going to leave disappointed, even if you have an amazing product of service. In most cases, it is better to undersell and over-deliver. Create the impression that customers are receiving more than they bargained for. This will help keep your customers happy and enthusiastic. When customers can see that your business delivers above and beyond what they were promised, you will be guaranteed to increase your customer retention rates.
Inconsistent Performance
Quality over time is an important building block for successful businesses. If customers get varying levels of service each time they come in, they will soon find a more consistent alternative. Clear policies, intentional training of your employees, and a positive culture can all contribute to a successfully consistent experience. The key to consistent customer service is to strive to give one hundred percent effort one hundred percent of the time. Again, no one is perfect, and mistakes will be made, but this is a good goal to strive for.
Dirty Facility
If you are the kind of business where your customers can enter into your physical building, then you must keep your facilities clean. Good first impressions, especially for potential new customers can be the difference between making or losing a sale. The upkeep of your facility speaks volumes about how much you value your customers and their experience with your company. Having a clean, friendly environment says that you expected new business, that you value their presence, and that you have a certain level of professionalism. One area to pay specific attention to in your facility is your carpet. According to MSP Clean, a company that does carpet cleaning in St. Paul, MN, no cleaning is ever complete without a clean carpet. This also carries over to the presentation and cleanliness of your employees as well.
Failing to Connect
More than ever, customers are looking to connect with other customers and brands that they enjoy. People respond emotionally, even to non-relational entities. Knowing that, adding personal touches, gratitude, and social media integration can add value to your business in the minds of your customers. This has the potential to turn them into fans of your business who can take your business message farther than you ever thought.
Finding new customers to walk through the “front door” of your business is difficult, but when you limit the number of customers walking out of the “back door”, you begin to see true organic growth.
There are so many factors out there that will cost you customers at the end of the day. Sometimes, it won’t be anything that you could have foreseen or done differently. However, as a business owner that works with customers, especially if your customers are other business owners, then you want to make sure you do everything you possibly can to give off a positive first impression, that you have great customer service, that you aren’t over-promising what you can do for them, that you keep your facility clean, and that you create a way to connect honestly with them. Doing these things will help you retain your customers while also gaining new ones.
short url:
