Stop Divorcing your Customers!
Before I start this article I feel it’s only appropriate to say that I have never been married and thus have never been divorced. So perhaps I’m not best placed to use it as an analogy, but I’m going to anyway; because it explains the message I want to share.
We all know what we’re like at the start of a new relationship, 1 word: effort! We dress well, show good manners and in general show our best side. You’re doing all the right things! Time passes, and you’re married, committed to the relationship. Then what happens?
The courtship is over!
You start getting sloppy, ignoring the good manners and suddenly, you’re doing all the wrong things. You don’t listen like you did and you certainly don’t act upon what you do hear.
Why?
Because what’s the point in putting in the effort like you used to? You’ve been together for a while now, they’re yours! Well… The UK divorce rate sits at 42% (The independent) and the US sees stats very similar. So, when you felt safe with them, that you could relax and not keep up that ‘A game’, what happened? Eventually, that’s it, can you do anything to repair things? Maybe if it was before, but now.. The relationship is unrepairable.
Now let’s flip that. Let’s look at you as your business, your partner as your client and the marriage as your relationship. Everyone wants customers for life, and some see that as a reality. Some customer relationships end before they’ve really started and some last a while but eventually break down.
So, how can we stop divorcing our customers?
1) Listen to your customers. I mean, really listen to them. Find out exactly what they want, what they envisage; and have that at the forefront of your mind. If they have problems, listen to them. In fact that brings me nicely on to my 2nd point.
2) Get feedback. Take listening to feedback properly to another level, actively go out and seek it. And whilst it’s great to hear that you’re doing a good job, the real feedback you want is the criticism. We’ve started a new thing here (just this week; so I don’t have a full report as to whether it works), we are phoning our clients asking how they are finding our campaigns, if they have any questions and most importantly, giving them encouragement to give us negative feedback for us to work on.
One of the most important things here is to make sure you have a relationship with clients in which they feel comfortable coming to you and saying they’re not happy with something. And that is of course two ways; we have to be prepared to tell our clients that they need to pick their act up sometimes.
This of course varies massively business to business, but try it! Pick up the phone and ask how you’re doing!
Whilst (as I said above) marriage isn’t something I am exactly well versed in, I think I can speak a little more confidently about customer service.
3) Own your mistakes! This can be a hard one, but excuses aren’t the best way to go. If we make mistakes, we need to own it. Own it then do everything to make it right.
And the last point?
It’s that age old expression
4) Under promise, over deliver! If that isn’t your mentality with clients and relationships as a whole, I think you’re doing it wrong. Your aim should always be to impress, whether it is the start of the relationship, a year into it or all the way down the line, never forget to go the extra mile.
Let’s remember something. DIVORCE ISN’T CHEAP! Think of all those unnecessary marketing costs to find another spouse! No one wants to end up with the relationship breaking down and the parties going separate ways. So pull your finger out, and stay in that marriage.. I mean, retain those customers! Gosh, even writing this I’m getting lost in the analogy!
Are you doing all you can to avoid business divorce?