Customers are notoriously difficult to get, but they’re incredibly easy to lose. It’s easier than ever for people to start their own businesses which means you’ve got a lot of competition. With that much choice out there, customer loyalty is hard to come by and even the smallest mistake could send them elsewhere. That’s why you need to be aware of the things that customers don’t like about businesses and make sure that you aren’t doing any of them. These are the things that customers hate about your company and how you can fix them.
- Not Being Available
Customer service is one of the most important parts of your business and if you aren’t getting it right, you’re never going to get repeat customers. There are a lot of things that people don’t like about customer service but one of the things they hate most is a company that isn’t available. A lot of businesses are trying to save money by getting rid of phone lines and using email instead. You don’t need as many employees to answer their emails but it’s a pain for customers. They want to be able to call up and speak to somebody there and then, rather than waiting hours for a reply to their email so get a 1300 number that they can call your company on directly. Make sure that you steer clear of automated phone menus as well because they’re just frustrating for customers. If you do want to save money on staff and still make yourself available to your customers, you can use a live chat service on your website.
- Not Treating Them Like a Person
When you are speaking with customers over the phone or online, the way that you speak to them is incredibly important. Customers want to be treated like people, not numbers. That means you should always be polite and not overly formal. Otherwise, they’ll feel like they’re talking to a robot. The best way to deal with customers is to try to gauge their tone when you speak to them and then reply in the same way. Some people don’t like it if you’re overly formal but equally, some people don’t like it if you’re too casual.
- Trying Too Hard to Be Relatable
Some of the most effective social media campaigns tap into popular culture and create a personality that resonates with their target audience. It’s a great way to build trust between you and your customers but it only works if it’s natural. There’s nothing worse than a company that’s out of touch trying to tap into youth culture. It always comes across as desperate and has the opposite effect that you want to, making you appear more out of touch than ever. When you’re trying to create a social media campaign, find a social media manager that has a good understanding of what resonates with people and don’t try to force it.
Making even one of these mistakes is going to completely turn off your customers and they’ll start taking their business elsewhere.
