Ten Ways to Lose A Customer

Recently I was looking for a solution to a computer problem I was having. I had an idea in my head on how to solve it and went to a few stores to ask around about my best options.

Store No. 1 had no idea, store No. 2  never even tried to help me and store No. 3 did give me the simple answer but also let me know that I wasn’t smart enough to understand how to do it myself.

In the end, my solution came from YouTube. All I needed was a hairdryer, but that’s for another article.

From my frustration as a customer, I made a list of ten things that really made me not want to go back to any of the three stores I visited.

1. Ignoring a customer. If you are busy with another customer or ready to go on a break, don’t leave the other customer without a quick acknowledgement. All it takes is a quick “Someone else (or I) will be with you in a moment.
2. Telling a customer why they are wrong. If a customer comes in with a complaint, be gentle. Listen to what the problem is and offer suggestions and or discounts.
3. Telling a customer why you hate your job. I shouldn’t have to explain this one.
4. One worded answers. Your customers will get the impression that you are not all that interested in the sale or them.
5. Making a customer feel inferior to you. They came to you because they believe you know more than they do about the product. Try not to get arrogant.
6. Fidget with your phone or other device. Your focus is the customer, keep it there.
7. Overselling. It is okay to try to upsell a product but try not to do it by shoving it down their throat.
8. Pretty woman syndrome. Only attending to a customer who looks like they have money can sometimes be a “big mistake, huge”.
9. Not getting to the point. If you are selling a form of cable TV, don’t try to be my best friend first and then come at me. I already had your service so you just wasted ten minutes.
10. Get aggressive. A hostile attitude only gets a customer on the defensive. They should leave happier then when they walked in.

If you or any of your sales reps fit into one of these items, fix it now!