Running a business, while fulfilling, does get to be an incredibly delicate balancing act. There’s the stress of handling the day-to-day, and so much falls by the wayside when it comes to maintaining customer relationships as a result. We get it, but let’s be real here– you mean well, but we might want to examine some of our habits.
Customer retention is ultimately a matter of maintaining relationships. If you neglect them, they’ll probably reject you or brush you off later on. As with most things, prevention is always better than cure. A proactive approach is an investment that in this case, ultimately helps us build stronger relationships, and in turn, better returns.
On top of active steps for customer retention, there are also more passive things we could do to ensure that we don’t botch our potential sales. You know, the small stuff– it all piles up, so we can’t really afford to let that slide in light of bigger things.
Now, what could we do to drastically improve our chances of building a good working relationship with our customers? Well, we’ve discussed some basics in the past, but it’s also worth looking at some negative habits we might want to address. Let’s look at some of them, so we know what to avoid.
Bad Customer Support
Now, you’re probably thinking, “Of course it’s bad, dummy!” And you’d be right, but let’s explain why first. When we say bad customer support, it could be for a wide range of things. Reading off a script and inability to communicate a sense of empathy and care to customers is a huge reason people stop patronizing brands. About 82% of a company’s former customers would’ve dropped because they think they’re not being seen or heard. Make sure you give them the time and attention they need.
Misplaced Automation
You know how we opened with the whole idea of workplace tedium? Don’t get us wrong, that stuff’s terrible, but an indifferent approach to customer relations can and will hurt you– even under the guise of efficiency. If we circle back to our point on bad customer support, the lack of a personal connection to your customer will definitely contribute to that sense of distance people have towards your brands. Know which processes to automate, but always make sure there’s a human presence when and where it counts.
Over Promising (and Under Delivering)
While we understand the need to hype one’s own set of product offerings, do understand that as a brand, you’re under more scrutiny for these claims than others. If at any point, a customer begins to feel like they’re not getting their money’s worth, the likelihood of them dropping off greatly increases. It’s okay to have standards, but try to set a fairly reasonable bar. You could just as easily outline the best parts of your baseline services, so customer expectations don’t stray that far. If you’re looking for a value add, the positive perception you garner may offset any apprehensions they may have. You don’t have to say it– they’ll feel it!
