Why satisfied customers still leave (and how to prevent it)
You do what you committed to. Your client gives you a solid 8 or 9, says he is satisfied. Everything seems to be going smoothly, until suddenly that unexpected contract cancellation is in your inbox.
How can that be? You did what the customer asked, right? That is exactly the pitfall.
Too satisfied to stay
It happened to a professional, let's call him Dave. Dave works for a large service provider. His client had a serious problem: a gigantic high absenteeism rate. The assignment: reduce absenteeism to the industry average.
And Dave delivered. Within two and a half years, absenteeism was even below the agreed level. Fantastic result. The client gave him an 8 in the customer satisfaction survey. Everyone is happy.
Until three months later. Then came the cancellation.
Why a satisfied customer still leaves
What went wrong? Dave had done exactly what he had been hired to do. And with that, the assignment was completed for the client. Done. The client thought: “We can do it ourselves now, thanks.”
This is what often happens: customer satisfaction says something about the past. Loyalty says something about the future.
A customer doesn't stay because you solved a problem once. A customer stays if he believes that you will continue to add value tomorrow.
Your customer satisfaction is not your safety net
Dave had focused on achieving the agreed result. What did he forget? Keep talking about the future. About new risks, new goals, opportunities to improve together.
Because if you don't tell them why you're still important tomorrow, the customer will look for someone else. Or do it themselves.
A satisfied customer without a future vision is an ex-customer in the making.
Knowing expectations is not enough
And even if you think you know what a customer expects, you're not there yet.
As we often see at Xenos Business Excellence, it's not just about raising expectations, it's about prioritizing them.
Because what if the customer expects five things from you? And you achieve four out of five? Fine, you think. But maybe that fifth is the most important for the customer.
“We don't get fired for failing expectation five or six. We get fired for failing number one or two.”
And are you sure which expectations your customer has in first and second place?
The top 3 pitfalls that make you lose customers
You only talk about the past, not the future.
Too many organizations focus on what has already been delivered. But customers want to know: "What will help me tomorrow?"You don't ask about the real priorities.
Often you are dealing with multiple decision makers. HR wants something different than Finance or the CEO. Who decides what counts?You don't show where you make the difference.
You see risks and opportunities that the customer doesn't see. But do you tell them? Or do you stick to the original plan, while the world has changed in the meantime?
What could Dave have done differently?
Always looking ahead.
What will be the next challenge? What new risks are coming?Prioritize together.
What are the top 3 things the customer judges your value on?Educate the client.
You are the expert. You see what they don't see. Make that visible.Keep talking about value.
Not just what you have already delivered, but especially: what can your customer achieve tomorrow thanks to you?
Why this affects you as the person ultimately responsible for commercial matters
As a commercially responsible person, sales manager or board member, you know that retaining a customer is cheaper and more valuable than constantly acquiring new ones.
But then you must know:
What keeps my customer awake?
Which expectations really count?
How do I continue to be of value, even after the original assignment is completed?
Don't you also want to lose a satisfied customer?
At Tenacity we help organizations not just have satisfied customers, but loyal customers. Customers who stay because they see what you can do for them tomorrow.
Join our webinar on July 2nd to find out more
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/webinar-client-retention-strategies-tickets-1394516840409?aff=AB
