Write By:  Waleed Al-Toukhi

It happens too often. We fall madly in love with certain brands and companies then devote ourselves to every product launch, service perk and upgrade. However, this relationship is volatile.  

Let’s say your company is one of the top brands in the technology and mobile phones. Your loyal consumers anticipate your new cell phone launches and tell others about how great your new innovation are. Then your Customer had to use one of your services to fix his new toy which he is so much happy about. Suddenly he gets mistreated neglected and the quality of customer service is poor, yet continues to try to figure out how to fix the new toy but can’t seem to get an answer. Your consumers complain however you don’t attend to them. Those same loyal customers you gained in previous years suddenly turn on you. 

With no hesitation they look for an alternative They switch to other companies and begin spreading negativity around your brand. (ouch!)

Negative emotions drive consumer actions more than positive ones especially when they get disappointed from a brand they once believed in they feel betrayed.

That’s why customer experience is vital to any business.

What can turn a positive customer experience into a negative one?   

Poor Customer Service

Customer service is the one-on-one interaction your consumers make with a representative from your business (be it Online or at your store). This could be a sale persons or customer support agent. These front liners represent your brand and are often the first person of contact of your business when customer needs something. As such, they are the first to leave an impression on your consumers. 

For example, if we visit the cell phone store and a sales representative is rude or negligent to our issues, this will inevitably leave a bad impression about your business. This could be in spite of your high-quality products and excellent marketing. Poor customer service deepens the wedge between consumers and your brand when this experience occurs multiple times. 

Additionally, taking too long to respond to customer concerns is another example of poor customer service. In fact, quick responses are what consumers consider their number one priority. When your business takes too long to address concerns this shows that you don’t prioritize your consumers. As such, consumers can no longer trust your brand. 

It’s important to provide the best customer service to ensure your consumers enjoy interacting with your business.

Taking your consumers for granted 

This often happens in 2 ways. When brands exponentially increase expectation on a product aftersales service and gets surprised by a poor response, this leaves a bad impression on consumers who have been with you since the start. 

Secondly, consumers can feel they’re being taken advantage of when false promises are made. For example, if your business guarantees that this new phone service Warranty promises fast solutions for the investment your clients make with your company but gets faced with neglecting client concerns, this leads to distrust. When consumers place their money on products, they expect brands to hold their end of the bargain. 

Nowadays, people have more resources and options to consider and choose from. If your loyal consumers feel cheated, it won’t be a problem for them to find another company who provides the same but actually listens and care for the customer. Never leave a concern non answered.

Decline in Quality Service/Products 

 Loyal consumers can testify for an increase or decrease in quality. Often brands will rely on quality products as a marketing tactic to entice new buyers. However, loyal consumers are even more aware of quality changes if they relied on this factor to stick with your brand throughout the years. For example, if your customer service is not reliable as they previously did, it’s difficult for consumers to justify sticking with your products. 

People are overwhelmed with services and products, they are looking for brands that understand their needs and connect with them and want to assure themselves your products and service are worth it. It’s important to never compromise on quality with your service or product. 

How to Prevent Losing Customers

Keepingyour loyal customers around is essential to your business. Not only will this allow for your business to survive, but these consumers become advocates for your brand. These are some ideas to consider when creating a plan on how to keep consumers around.

1. Consider consumer feedback 

Sometimes you need additional perspective from outside your business in order to truly understand the effectiveness of your business operations. You may be thinking you’re doing everything right, but you won’t really know until you speak to your customers.

This is why every business needs to evaluate consumer feedback. Whether it’s through surveys or responding to ratings, this will give insight into what’s working and not working within your company. Whether its customer services, product quality or confusing website design, customer feedback can provide well-informed way to solve your end use concerns. When solve or at least direct them in the right way how to solve, your consumers will feel valued by your brand, enticing them to stick around for the long run. 

2. Attention to Every Department 

As business owners already know, every part of a business is vital. From customer sales to the marketing team, every department must operate smoothly to deliver the highest quality for consumers. That’s why it’s important to check in with each department and make sure everyone is on track.  

A part of this starts with valuing your employees. Through appropriate training, and positive working environment, your employees will feel valued. When you show your workers that you care about them just as much as the business, this provides them the motivation to contribute the high- quality work.

3. Think about Your Customers for Every Decision

Businesses need to be profitable. However, customers are what keep your business running. As such it’s important to prioritize customer experience throughout every operation within your business. For example, if you’re adding a new feature to the cell phone, will this make the lives of your consumers easier? How much of an increase to your prices should you implement without it being unreasonable? What service can you add that will improve customer experience even more? 

It’s important to consider your consumers for the majority of the decisions made within your business. This will ensure your customers continue to come around and entice new customers to use your services. 

When consumers undergo a bad customer experience, they will not hesitate to leave a bad review on the web, tell Friends, community and move on from your brand. If you want to ensure your consumers stay, consider implementing factors within your business that will heighten customer experience. This involves understanding your consumers and making changes to ensure you keep up with their concerns. A positive experience for your consumers makes for a positive climate for your business. 

Follow Waleed Al Toukhi on LinkedIn 

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Waleed Al-Toukhi has over 19 years of experience in Marketing, Digital Strategy , Branding, Production & He developed branding strategies and digital Projects Company leading the development of company’s corporate digital strategy, presence and websites in KSA, Dubai and Jordan.

Waleed Al Toukhi is a Marketing strategy expert in Business branding, digital Branding & Marketing for business.

 Strategy builder and executer, a Marketer who thrives in transforming business through unconventional creativity and Adoptive technology with over 19 years’ experience in Marketing Communication and Digital Marketing, Understand the

Business need to develop 

Branding & Marketing Strategies.

Go-To Market Strategy. 

Consumer Journey.

Customer Experience (CX)