Retaining customers means keeping your promises!
Suppose you want to buy a new smartphone. You call a supplier and when you make purchases you always get a person on the phone. The person as operator or salesperson answers your detailed questions. Questions about service are also communicated on the basis of the delivery conditions. In the end, everything is positive and you are willing to make a purchase. After all, you can trust that you are buying a good smartphone with the associated service.
Yet there are suppliers who refer you to their website, because you can only place an order there. It couldn't be more impersonal. It is fatal for trust in the supplier from the outset.
After using the smartphone for some time, a malfunction occurs. Because the warranty period still applies, call the supplier's customer service. You call to complain and are put on hold and then referred to different departments. This was not mentioned during the first orientation meeting.
Various procedures then follow. Reporting the complaint, sending the smartphone, the promises to handle the case within a certain time, the failure to keep that promise, the telephone or email traffic about it, the irritation that promises are not kept, etc.
Eventually you will be transferred to the Customer Retention department. This department is tasked with handling the angriest customers and the worst customer service mistakes. The very fact that there is a customer retention department means that customer service is failing (if you have such a customer retention department in your company, I recommend you do better customer service). The customer retention employee always apologizes, tries to accommodate you and resolve the problem.
But essentially they had made a promise to you that they would deliver the smartphone and the service. The promise was broken because they did not deliver the service, which now forces them to spend time, effort and money to 'retain' me.
So when a customer makes a purchase, not only promise the delivery of that purchase, but also promise that you will provide service. For the customer, purchasing and service experience have a major impact. If you want the customer to come back to you, keep your promises. If you break it, the customer will react negatively about the product and/or reputation to potential customers.
As a customer, you know what it feels like when a company breaks a promise. You are left with a sour taste in your mouth and a desire to find competitors. Sometimes you switch, but even if you stay put you are not a satisfied customer.
Consider checking what promises you make to customers? Which promises do customers value? Find out what matters to customers. After these considerations you will have a better idea of this problem. It then becomes hard work to retain customers (don't underestimate this). Try to summon your ability to empathize; move to the customer. Look at your own customer service from that perspective. You might be surprised at what you find.
Let an outsider go through the entire purchasing, delivery and complaints process. On the components of personal conversations, by telephone and via the Internet. Have everything recorded in detail and analyze whether the processes meet the customer friendliness values. If not, adjust the procedures.
Often it is a few simple adjustments to processes that can help. Empowering frontline employees to solve customer problems will almost always solve most of your customer retention problems.
