Why do customers stop going to any business? There are several reasons but the top three I continuously see are:
- Satisfied customers that temporarily stopped using your product/service with every intention to go back, but just didn’t get to it or forgot.
- Satisfied customers that no longer need your product or service.
- Customers that your business somehow ticked-off.
Let’s look at the top two briefly and spend a chunk of time on the third. If a customer is already satisfied with your product they just need a little nudge or reminder to come back to you. If your customer is unhappy, you may need to go from a little nudge to a full on massage.
Our lives are busy. That is it! We forget stuff. There’s a lot going on. We fall into patterns and rhythms like the undulation (I’ve been wanting to use that word all day) of the ocean. About three months ago I was a workout-aholic. I was on a mission to get in the best shape of my life. I did Yoga, Qi-Gong, P90X, and Insanity for a whopping 30 days straight. I was looking good, feeling good, and even smelling good (after the shower). But, then it happened. Had to go to Portland for a week and everything went downhill. I fell out of the pattern and the same thing happens to customers. They get busy with life, business, travel, family, pets, etc. To get these already satisfied clients back into the rhythm of coming back to you; call them, write to them, send them an irresistible offer to come back, send them a coupon for $5 of free shopping, a free lunch, an hour of your consulting time, whatever. It is an easy fix and a pleasant reminder to get them back. And they will LOVE YOU for it! A little nudge from you can go a long way for your business. PS: about half the customers you lose are from simple forgetfulness and that is a silly reason to lose a satisfied customer. So get on it, reach out and reconnect with great customers.
Life takes us all over the world and back. We move, change diets, follow different trends, and grow up (or become a kid again). There are times when I no longer need the services of a particular business or I moved out of the area. I love my dentist, but if I move to Arizona I am not flying back to get a check up. I love some great Steak, but if I turn vegan then I probably won’t be renewing my Omaha Steak subscription. When this happens and clients no longer need your service, still be very polite, respectful and let them know that you are always around if things change. Still care about them and wish them the best of luck on their new journey in life. I have dealt with people that get rude when they find out I will not be spending any more money with their business. As if all of a sudden I am an inconvenience of some sort. Being rude will get a business nowhere and with social media sites like Yelp out there, customers are letting THE WORLD know about your business, your service, and attitude. Which leads us to third reason why customers leave, your business did something that upset the customer. This is a longer section that will be covered tomorrow in Part 2 of Day 2.
Until tomorrow, remember that keeping a customer happy is very important for your business. A part of a business owner’s job entails being like a doctor and remind them of their check-up. If they have not been in a while, call them and let them know they were missed or you were concerned. Wow! Talk about earning customer brownie points. Also, understand that our lives are evolving every day (if not every minute). Help your customers out with their life changes. Be a solution not pain in the rear.
Sam Walton said it best, “There is only one boss. The customer. And he can fire everybody in the company from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else.”
