Did you know the average business loses 10-25% of its customer base yearly? This statistic highlights the pressing need for businesses to identify and address why their customers leave. That’s because customer retention is key in today’s competitive business landscape. And losing your customers means losing revenue, your business reputation, and future growth. Knowing why your customers leave is the first step to improving customer retention. So, if you struggle to retain customers, here are a few reasons why they may leave your business.

You broke a customer support promise

 As far as customers are concerned, service does not end once a sales transaction is completed. Depending on your products, your customers will expect much from you regarding customer support and other after-sales services. And what your customer will expect depends on the promises you make to them. For example, if you promise free repairs and fail to deliver, your customers may feel like they’ve been lied to.

And regardless of how good your products are, those customers will leave. The same applies to any form of customer support. You should remember that a customer that asks for support already feels negative about your product or service. And the actions you take next could be the deal breaker for them. For example, leaving the customer waiting too long or failing to fix their problem will force them to turn away from your business. 

Dishonesty and inconsistency with deals

You should be straightforward and open to your customers at all times. For example, if you allow customers to pre-order their products for delivery, ensure that you always keep to your delivery dates. Should any unexpected circumstance delay their delivery, you need to send notifications on time explaining the reason for the delay. Using lies and coverups to keep your customers will only cause them to leave. The same applies to your prices, deals, promotions, etc. They should be well laid out and communicated. Constant price changes will only frustrate your customers and turn them away from your business. 

Taking part in politics

A man may be a political animal, but your customers do not expect you to tow political lines, especially regarding sensitive topics. In the internet age particularly, it’s even more dangerous for brands to wear political colours. Of course, you may gain support from a sector of customers, but you will also lose a significant set. You may attract potential backlash and customer loss by involving your business in political debates. 

It’s Not Always Your Fault

While yes these may be common reasons, you have to keep in mind that it’s not always your fault if customers decide to leave. That’s right! Sometimes, they just find something better; sometimes, they no longer need your services. But that’s not all; sometimes, customers are never planning to stick around long term, either. It’s not ideal, but there’s a lot of truth to it. Sometimes, a customer only wants to get something out of you, and that can be that. Sometimes, there can be a lack of honesty, too. 

For example, if you run a graphic design service, there might be a chance of a customer who was initially not going to pay for anything at all. As in, they want to get the finished product and ghost you, all without paying. It’s a harsh reality, but sadly, a lot of businesses face this. So, in cases like this, you may need to do some research into Jefferson Capital Systems reviews or other collections agencies that can help you. 

By all means, it’s super discerning, but I don’t think it’s because you’re a bad business owner. Every customer varies, and sometimes you’re going to get great customers and other times, you’re going to get awful customers too. 

Leaving your business premises unkept.

This point may sound obvious, but unclean, disorganised, and dirty business premises will turn away customers. Some studies show that 86% of restaurant customers equate dirty restrooms with dirty kitchens and will patronise such businesses. So if you run a restaurant business, for example, keep every place clean, including the outdoors leading to your business entrance. Things like floor stains, chewing gums stuck to the floor, etc., can be an eyesore, and you should get rid of them. You can use a chewing gum removing machine to remove discarded gums from various surfaces in and around your business premises. And for most customers, a dirty work environment means the company does not care about its customers, which is enough reason to avoid that business.