A few weeks ago I met a rather distraught acquaintance. She had acted as a project manager for one of her clients for two years – a retail company – helping to establish a brand presence for the owner, execute a successful marketing and advertising campaign, and turn the brand into a profitable business.
After two years, the owner asked to terminate the service agreement. Naturally, my acquaintance was very upset. “I don’t understand what I did wrong,” she told me. “I was managing a business that was making a profit, and built it to be a favourable destination for our target audience.” The owner did not provide her with a reason, but felt it was time to let go and take over her role.
Her emotional response is not unusual. As an entrepreneur and a project manager for other businesses, she questioned what went wrong, when nothing appeared wrong.
It can be hard when people unsubscribe from your mailing list, ask for a refund or perhaps stop dealing with your company altogether. A week after we met, my acquaintance seemed happier with the situation. While the issue with her client still bothered her, she respected the owner’s decision to stop liaising with her service-providing company, realising she was now free to focus on other aspects.
As an entrepreneur it is normal to face such situations. Global businesses face them every day, with special hotlines for refunds and complaints. Some customers might switch to other competitors overnight and there’s often little companies can do to prevent it.
The reality is that clients and customers have different reasons for moving on, and it is important not to take it personally. Consider the case of my friend and do not let it deter you from focusing on growing your business.
So what could you do when faced with a similar situation?
Firstly, whether a customer asks for a refund or complains about your service, go out of your way to provide good customer care. Find out the reason behind your customers’ dissatisfaction. Is there a fault in your product? Perhaps your staff is not providing a good service. It is important to understand the root of the problem and provide a solution. By showing good customer care, you can alter a customer’s decision and also prevent similar situations from arising in the future.
If the reason has nothing to do with you, but instead is a client’s personal decision, then do not think too much about it. It might turn out to be for the best. You want clients who want to deal with you, and consider what you offer valuable. The same applies to a mailing or subscription list; you want to send out your news and offers to those who want to receive it.
However, if losing clients or customers is something you find difficult to deal with, this is what I recommend.
Hire or dedicate a staff member to deal with customer support. With good customer care knowledge, they would deal directly with your customers, freeing up mental and emotional space for you to focus on your business expansion and satisfy your loyal customers.
You could have a customer support hotline and an email address for your dedicated employee to address any issues.
From time to time, conduct a customer service survey asking customers to evaluate your services and address areas of weakness. Some companies tie the survey to an award or a discount voucher to encourage those reluctant to participate in surveys to do so. The key is to keep the survey short, to the point and not time-consuming.
Last but not least, do not take matters to heart. While we all want people to love our business, sometimes the reason people don’t has nothing to do with us or our company. Your customers could be going through rough financial times, or decided to switch providers to support a friend who has launched a new business.
Letting go of clients or customers can be hard, especially when you have been working hard to provide them with great value. However, sometimes letting go frees up time to focus on your loyal customers, and provide opportunities for growth.
Manar Al Hinai is an award-winning Emirati writer and communications consultant based in Abu Dhabi. Twitter: @manar_alhinai.
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