If your business is losing customers there could be several different reasons why. To deal with the issue effectively, you’ll need to uncover the root cause. However, uncovering an issue as broad as the fact that a business is losing customers, will take a lot of narrowing down if you want to find tangible reasons…and then fix them!
So here, we’ve done just that. We’ve uncovered a broad issue and looked carefully into a lot of data on why various business models across different industries, either lost or retained their customers. From there I’ve narrowed down the top five reasons why your business might be losing brand new and its repeat customers too.
5 Reasons Why Your Business
Is Losing Customers
Your Customer Service…Is Awful
If you aren’t providing good service, this can cause you to lose a lot of customers in a very short space of time. Customers won’t usually tell you when you’ve done something wrong.
They just won’t come back, and this will absolutely cause your sales to plummet. To prevent this from happening, you need to do an internal audit of your current customer service policies.
It would also be helpful to chat with your customer service managers and even the reps themselves. Tell them about the negative feedback you’ve been getting from disgruntled customers and see what their response is? Then you should be able to assess why your customers are dissatisfied, while also uncovering any internal issues that may be present.
Your Products Just Aren’t Cutting It
Disappointed customers will more than likely share their experience with friends and family. That’s bad enough but these days, they’re more likely to share their grievances on social media, and you really don’t want that!
No amount of marketing will ever change the “bad taste” that’s been left in their mouth. The best solution would be for you to make some quick changes to your product line.
Consider analyzing the physical materials that you’re using and start by making all adjustments according to the complaints that your customers are making. Everything we’ve discussed in this section applies to both service-based products and physical.
Whether you only offeror one type of product you offer or “in addition to” your other physical products. Also, if you need any help with the digital aspect of your business, you could try using an IT service like www.prosum.com.
You Don’t Provide Value
When a customer buys something, they expect value. And if you’re not delivering it, they’ll most certainly think twice about ever purchasing another product or service from you again.
Think of it as helping to create the best possible experience for your customers. One that they’re able to enjoy as a result of using your products or services. Well, how do you do that?
First, you’ll want to take a look at your unique value proposition. What do your products or services provide your customer? Of course, this could mean a number of things! Depending on whether your product is a physical product or if it’s a service. Ask yourself, “what do (I) provide (my) customer as far as peace of mind or physical support?”
Perhaps the very thing that makes your product so unique is that the customer is able to gain value from its presence alone! Once you know what your unique value proposition is, focus on making it the foundation of all your products and services.
Your Brand Is Inconsistent
Consistency breeds trust. One way that your brand can come across as inconsistent is when the tone of the ‘customer experience’ at one of your stores is completely at odds with the tone that your online team provides through your company website. Something like this could easily drive customers away.
In order to avoid driving customers away, you must deliver a consistent and truly ‘synchronized’ brand experience. It should be something that your customers can always count on regardless of which store they’re physically at. The same thing goes for if they’re interacting with a live chatbot during a visit to your online store.
How can you do that? TRAINING!! One example of how to deliver consistency across multiple in-store locations, online platforms and your brand in general, is making sure that each of your employees is fully trained before they are ever in a position that represents you and/or your brand.
They should know every single guideline that you have in place for your employees’ behavior, tone, and even (general) appearance. The best way to ensure that your employees are fully immersed in your brand is by simply aligning yourself with your brand. Share with them what customer service means to you.
Give them an example of how you’d respond to the same question while working at your store or as a virtual customer service agent in your online store. By showing them how you’d respond to the same situation, you’re able to set the president for how they are expected to handle similar situations.
Out of Date Sales Tactics
Another reason why your business is losing customers is due to your aggressive sales techniques. It’s practically universal, the collective disgust that most of us seem to have for out of date sales tactics, including my favorite, the extremely pushy salespeople and telemarketers!
To ensure nobody hates your tactics, avoid using any sales tactics that are known to be controversial. A good way to make sure that you don’t accidentally use one of those old not-so-cool tactics is to just make a rule to only use current sales copy.
Do not allow anyone to re-use any unauthorized ‘jingles’ from the 50s…trust me. You also need to try and make sure that you are passive in your marketing. This could include using targeted Facebook ads or even putting up billboards in your local area.
If you focus on targeting every single person you see, or if you use cold-calling techniques (very bad!), this could easily be the MAIN reason why your business is losing customers!
Edited by Jessica Rose Adams
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