What could be worse than losing customers?
In today’s competitive world, it’s extremely hard for businesses to find and retain loyal customers who also spread the word about the business and become your brand ambassadors.
These days, consumers love trying out new products, new brands and are always looking for the best customer experience. Even if it means paying extra.
If you once had a big customer base that is loyal and kept coming back for more and suddenly start losing those customers, it’s not a surprise you’re wondering what you’re doing wrong.
Is it your customer service? Falling behind the competition? Keep on reading to find out the most common reasons!
You don’t listen to their suggestions and complaints
There are customers that stop buying from you without letting you know why they weren’t completely satisfied with your business. And there are others, who make sure they leave negative feedback first.
No matter how frustrating it is to receive a complaint, you should be grateful for those customers who actually express their thoughts, explain what they are dissatisfied with and give you suggestions on how you can improve. If one customer isn’t happy with something, it’s likely that there are more – they just keep their opinion to themselves.
Reacting to negative feedback and making noticeable changes lets your customers see you as a trustworthy business. A business that cares about every customer and is willing to take an extra step to please them.
Moreover, those customers who leave a review or complaint want to be heard. That’s why they are more likely to give your business another chance and see whether things have changed since they expressed their dissatisfaction. If not, they will have no other option but to take their money somewhere else.
They can’t afford your product/service anymore
If you rise your prices, there will be people who won’t be able to afford your products or services. This can also happen when your customers’ circumstances change. It could be losing a source of income or unexpected expenses.
Unfortunately, there isn’t much you can do in this situation.
If you have an option, you can run occasional offers and provide discounts, so those who love your business but simply can’t afford to buy from you can treat themselves from time to time.
Your customer service is poor
Customer service plays an essential role when it comes to customer satisfaction.
Depending on how you provide customer service can either make your business a big success or put people off from buying from you.
If it’s difficult for your customers to reach out to someone when they have an issue, resolving problems takes way too long or you or your team don’t make people feel welcome, no wonder your customers are leaving!
To build customer trust and gain their loyalty, you need to provide excellent customer service.
In fact, 96% of customers said that they would leave a brand if they weren’t satisfied with the customer experience and only less than 4% would stick around if their expectations weren’t met.
Think about these numbers. Can you really afford to lose all those customers? If not, it might be a great time to evaluate your customer service skills and identify the areas you can improve.
Our Above & Beyond Customer Service course, will help you do exactly that! It looks at your customer service skills and how you can improve them to achieve higher customer satisfaction, build long-lasting relationships and increase your profits!
Customers leave when you don’t keep up with the changes in your industry
Every industry is constantly changing. Companies introduce new products and services, new features, new ways to buy or contact and more.
All those changes happen because businesses want to keep up with the new expectations and preferences of their customers and provide them with what they are looking for.
If you believe that your business is working smoothly and don’t need any changes, you might be setting your business up for failure.
Outdated products, a website that hasn’t been updated for years or no option to contact you on social media, can make your customers want to switch to something new and more exciting.
To avoid that, make sure you follow the latest trends in your industry, read articles and attend industry events. This will give you a better understanding of what is popular at that moment, what people are talking about and what the future of your industry looks like.
You don’t reward your loyal customers
How do you show your loyal customers that you appreciate them? You don’t?
That might be a mistake you’re making!
If your competitors offer loyalty programmes and rewards, this could be the only reason your customers are choosing them instead of you.
Customer reward schemes are one of the best ways to keep your customers happy and excited about coming back to buy more! There are a number of options you can choose from:
- Discount cards – receive a discount every time you buy or get special prices on selected products
- Stamp cards – receive free or discounted item/service after making a certain amount of purchases
- Point-based programme – collect points with your purchase to redeem a reward. A reward can be a free item, discount or limited edition product that you can only buy with the points
- Paid loyalty programme. A great example is Amazon Prime – you pay a monthly fee to get free fast delivery
- Tiered loyalty programme – the more you spend the more benefits you receive
Customer reward schemes can not only help you keep your existing customers but also attract new ones, especially if your offers are more attractive compared to your competitors.
Apart from reward schemes, you can also show your appreciation using small gestures, such as including a hand-written thank you note, a sweet surprise in their package or a cup of coffee when they visit your office. These things don’t cost much but can make a massive impact. It can improve your customer’s mood, make them more likely to buy from you again or recommend your business to others.
Our Course: Above & Beyond Customers Service
The aim of this course is to help you focus on the profitability of your business. It's not always about increasing your marketing activities but making the most of what you already have.
The course will cover:
- How to turn a negative customer experience for one customer into a positive experience for another
- Understanding the importance of the first step of the customer journey with your company
- Delivering customer service to challenging customers
- Upselling to existing customers to get more sales
- Understanding the value of converting customers compared to marketing and finding new customers
Using what you already have, you will strengthen your business and plan how to be more profitable. That sounds like a superb plan to us!
