Are Your Customers Leaving You?

Are Your Customers Leaving You? One More in Our Series on Key Drivers of Business Value: The Customer Experience.

I had a horrible experience as a customer. When that happens, we get angry, maybe complain and then go elsewhere with our business.

Do you ever stop to think about why your experience was horrible and how you might be doing the same things to your customers? Perhaps losing them before you know it? This is not the way to achieve your business growth goals or to optimize your exit planning!

My recent experience: I went in to get an oil change, a light bulb replaced and a diagnostic done because my check engine light was on. I left 5 hours later.

  • Told it would be about an hour. As I checked from time to time, it grew to almost three hours.
  • While waiting, an email from “VIP Customer Service” asking how my experience had been, clearly not knowing I was still there.
  • Then they told me all the work that was needed. I couldn’t take that kind of time and the quote was outrageously expensive.
  • I saw they had not yet replaced the light bulb. He said “oh yeah, I will have them do that and they will wash your car”.
  • Waiting waiting…into the 4th hour.
  • Checking again, my guy said he was leaving and that his colleague would check me out.
  • I went to see his colleague to find out that the car was still not ready.
  • After 20 minutes, I paid and went to the car. It hadn’t been washed and a headlight was out!
  • Beyond angry, I found the VIP person. She went to get the car washed and the light bulb replaced. Waiting, I noticed a sign that said “If your experience was not truly exceptional, please email the service manager.”
  • I started composing the email on the spot, finished it and sent it that afternoon.
  • Never got a response.
  • They won’t be doing that work or any work for me.

Are your customers having similar issues? Are you losing customers? Customer retention is the lifeblood of your business! Are they leaving you without bothering to complain? Are you sure? How do you make sure that they are having an exceptional experience?

Do you have controls in place throughout their customer experience? Are your business processes clear? Are your employees trained in both the technical side of their work and in how they interact with your customers? Do you have a reliable, quick way to interact with you clients to get honest, timely feedback? If you do get feedback, are you acting on it quickly?

How can you relate each of the problems in my customer experience to the experience your customers are having? Where are the problems in your customer interaction process that are costing you future revenue and reducing the value of your business?

 

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David Shavzin, CMC
770-329-5224
[email protected]

The Value Track
Succession Planning / Exit Planning, Building Transferable Value for Sale
Atlanta, Georgia
Our BLOG // LinkedIn // www.GetOnTheValueTrack.com

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