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Customer Loyalty is Up for Grabs

Recently, I contacted a dance studio via the business’s Web site for information about dance lessons for my child. After several weeks the company emailed a brochure with upcoming classes. I picked the class I wanted and sent the company an email asking how to sign-up and pay for the class. No response. I sent a second email. After receiving no response again, I called the gym down the street. They answered their phone and signed my child up on the spot.

I’d like to say that this experience is rare, but it is unfortunately too common. Customer service seems to be a lost art at many businesses, but it is one that can mean the difference between repeat business and no business. Something as simple as responding to an email, honoring an appointment, and even saying hello when a customer walks in the door can make all the difference in a business’s success.

As a business owner, it’s easy to say that customers will stick around because they need the product or service a business is selling. It is true that some products or services are harder to abandon than others (e.g., cell phone plans). But there are other competing options. If customers have a lousy experience working with a business, they may stick around in the short-term out of convenience, but their loyalty is being tested. When the opportunity arises, these “loyal” customers may be the first to jump ship.

As a business owner, is ignoring the customer experience really worth the chance of losing your customer base?

Read tips for keeping customers happy.
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