ONE THING YOU DO THAT ANNOYS YOUR CUSTOMERS

Avoid These Mistakes That Annoy or Chase Away Your Customers

You are in business to serve customers  and in return they expect to receive much value as possible from each penny they pay.

You are not right, customers are and they expect to be treated as kings and queens. More so they expect to have maximum satisfaction from each shilling they pay out.

They might be very intolerant at times wanting answers to their questions which they ask with the expertise of a PhD holder yet you are a just a form 4 leaver.      

You might be familiar with a list of common SINS. But the question is; "Are you GUILTY of committing the 5 most ANNOYING sins to your customers?" Let’s find out.

1. POLICIES THAT DON’T MAKE SENSE

Have you ever walked into a restaurant at 11 am badly looking for a breakfast meal and then what the waiter points at is a sign that reads “WE DON’T SERVE BREAKFAST PAST 10 AM”? How would you feel? That’s the same way your customers would feel when you create policies that don’t make sense to them. Other dumb policies that annoy the customer are:

    1. NO ADVANCE PAYMENTS

    2. CREDIT CARDS NOT ACCEPTED

Why this is annoying

Such rigid policies are just annoying.

Solution

Stamp out all your dumb policies

2. THE SIN OF KEEPING CUSTOMERS WAITING IN QUEUES UNNECESSARILY

Waiting in queues is not good at all. Your customers have other important things to do apart from coming to your business premises. They come for a purpose and would like to be given prompt attention and off they go.

Why queuing is annoying

Wastes everyone’s time and creates anxiety. Your customers have already had enough sitting in traffic jam for hours coming to your business premises. Don’t create another mini-traffic jam for them in your premises – it is really exasperating!

Solution

With advancement in technology, it is high time you automate most of your services. Regular payments can be done using mobile money transfers while basic queries can be handled on socio media.   

3. YOU ARE BUSY EVEN WHEN THE CUSTOMER WALKS IN YOUR BUSINESS PREMISES

More have been said time and time again on this. Customers expect to be treated like bosses when they walk into your business premises and not like unsolicited intruders.

Why it gets them annoyed

It’s bothering to see people ignoring you as if you are an intruder who has just walked in yet you are a CUSTOMER. Customers want to go to places where they are welcomed and given all the attention they need no matter how small or big their budgets are.

Solution

You can change this habit by strictly ADHERING to BASIC Customer Care principles. More importantly, you can employ an office administrator to improve business relationships with the incoming customers.

4. THE SIN OF FAILING TO RESPOND TO QUESTIONS ON SOCIAL MEDIA

You maintain a socio media presence and update your social media pages yet you don’t take time to respond to questions sent in by your audience. You think that the enquiries are generated by robots and not human beings!

Why it gets them annoyed

In the digital age customers use social media to interact with brands. Brands that don’t interact with their clients on social media are often seen as MEAN, UNCARING, UNFRIENDLY, AND RUDE, ANNOYING…you can keep adding more adjectives to this list.

Solution

Invest in social media management. You can either spend 60 minutes every day on social media responding to questions or hire a full-time assistant for the job.

 5. THE SIN OF HIDDEN COSTS

This is annoying and unprofessional. You hide some costs to trap the customers in but then once they accept your offer you come up with additional costs and conditions. You tell them “You have to pay for a compulsory maintenance fee once a month or year.” Or “You have to buy extra bundles or upgrade to onother package blaa...blaa....blaa”

Why it gets them annoyed

Customers get annoyed because they feel like you’re taking advantage of their vulnerability and ignorance. They think you’re trying to con them off their hard earned money and destroys TRUST.

Solution

Have in place a transparent pricing policy. Add an asterisk sign (*) next to your marketing price. Then provide detailed explanation of the terms and conditions for the deal beforehand. Let the customer make an informed choice.

 Final Word

Well, what other annoying scenarios have you ever come across? What other mistakes do you think business owners keep making every day? Share your good thoughts here with us  at biasharainspirations.