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Increase your chances of customer retention by 70%
As a customer, have you ever had an interaction from a company representative that left you with a “bad taste in your mouth”? Something in the words, tone of voice, or body language didn’t set right with you, and you felt ourselves pulling away. This type of situation can often be the beginning of the end to a good relationship.
I had such an experience at the beginning of this year. It was New Year’s Day, and my wife and I decided to take a walk in a private nature preserve that we had been going to for nearly 50 years. Not only is this a special place, we are dues-paying members.
Joyce and I had just completed a walk on one of the trails, and we were sitting in our car sipping coffee. An official vehicle pulled up beside us, and the security agent motioned to me to roll down my window. He said, “You can’t park here. There is a special event planned. Did you see the sign?” No, we didn’t see the sign, and if we had, we wouldn’t be there. We left. Afterwards, I kept thinking of how we were approached. What if he had begun in a more friendly way? For example, he could have said, “Hello folks. You two look like you been here before”. We would have replied saying about how long we had been coming here, and how much we love the place. Next, the security person could have said, “As much as I hate to, I have to tell you we are having a special event here in 30 minutes, and this section is closed. Here are the areas that are open. I am sorry to interrupt your visit.” If he had said this in a friendly way, we would have understood and been OK with it. Because of his abrupt approach, he left us disappointed with our visit.
Here are the stats regarding why customers leave:
- 15% Quality problems
- 15% Price
- 70% Disliked the human side of doing business with the previous product or service
Our membership renewal will come up in September. Normally, I would not have given a second thought to staying a member. Now, I am not so sure. Here is the message: When you have to confront, begin in a friendly way. The person you are talking to will almost always be more friendly and understanding.