Why Do You Lose Customers?
Why do you lose customers? Do you know? When you’re trying to get one more customer, it can be very helpful to know both what you’re doing right as well as what you might be able to improve on.
In any business, the customer has to come first. If you’re not providing value to your customers through your products and services, then any business will ultimately fail. Talking to customers is key to providing value. By talking to customers, you can find out what they like about your business, and where they find the value to be. But it’s just as important to talk to former customers. Satisfied customers might tell you a lot of positive things, but a customer you’ve lost can tell you a lot, too.
Sometimes, talking to a former customer will end up revealing it was a situation unique to that specific customer. But other times, you might realize that there is a deeper problem, and one that you can take steps to fix and retain more customers in the future. Or you might find that there are simple steps you can take to even win that customer back!
Jeanne Bliss, the founder of a consulting company, wrote a great article about this issue for Small Business Trends. What can you learn from departed customers, and how do you best go about it? She gives five steps that business owners can follow. It’s a list of specific actions you can take.
We’re going to share her five steps, but you should check out her full article to see her full thoughts on each item. It’s very much in line with the principles we advocate here at GoSmallBiz.
- Track Customers Who Have Departed
- Segment and Identify Those Who Departed
- Reach Out to Customers with Respect, Reason, and Reconciliation
- Categorize Reasons for Departure and Take Action
- Put Returned Customers into “Intensive Care”
