Pretend you just earned the business of a new customer, what is the one thing you can do to ruin the relationship and end the honeymoon as soon as possible? Simple. Just ignore them.
Ignoring customers has probably ruined as much business as providing poor service and an average product. There is no better way to tell someone you don´t care than ignoring them and taking their business for granted.
Not sending a thank you card, never calling, never updating on your latest news, never inviting to a special event, never extending a customer-only offer, never reminding, never asking"?¦sure ways to chase a customer away to the waiting doors of a business that does.
Food for thought.
Very true! One of our goals in Sproutit support is to never let the customer feel like the are alone. There are some simple things to do like sending a welcome message and making sure you promptly answer their questions but going the extra step is not easy. It takes a little planning and extra resources so it is rarely done. You have encouraged me to find more ways to let our customers know we appreciate them ...
Comment By: Peter Gohman | 4/24/06 at 12:00 PM How To Ruin A Customer Relationship In One Simple StepYes ignoring is realy a terrible mistake. A customer may understand if you are in stress and you cannot pay good service but they will never be sympathetic if you are ignoring them.
Comment By: Razib Ahmed | 4/30/06 at 12:00 AM How To Ruin A Customer Relationship In One Simple StepYes, I agree with the writer. I also read the 'An example of Outstanding Customer service.' It is a very nice article. Our country has also great potentials for business but we do not know how communicate well with our customers.
Comment By: S.M.Mehdi Hassan | 4/30/06 at 12:00 AM How To Ruin A Customer Relationship In One Simple StepOut of sight, out of mind! You have to remind your customers that you are there whenever they need you. It's just like any relationship in life. You're absolutely correct - they need to hear from you sometimes!
Comment By: Maria Palma | 7/11/06 at 12:00 PM How To Ruin A Customer Relationship In One Simple Step