13 Business Mistakes to Avoid (or Lose your Clients) Any good business should take care of its clients. A business which loses its clients (individuals or other businesses) is heading into bankruptcy or any financial trouble. In stand-alone businesses or businesses participating in procurement, these mistakes are often made to the detriment of the company. Here are some business mistakes to avoid and put a stop to company’s decline. Not in constant touch. A good business should consult their clients on a regular basis. Being in touch means being ready to receive feedback, asking how they feel about your products or services and suggestions. Give active service and anticipate their needs or problems. When dealing with long-time or big clients, get people to regularly communicate with them. Keep in mind: communication with clients is one tool to avoid mistakes. Rudeness. There is a saying that the ‘customer is always right’. This is not always true but a certain respect is given to the client. It doesn’t matter what a client’s personality or perceived impression is; they should be treated and valued. Thinking low of them might lead to offense and clients thinking low of the business. A lousy customer service. A client might be in love with your product or service but a lousy customer service will definitely make them turn to your competitors. Don’t make the mistake of hiring just anyone or not providing training for your customer service. Clients would forgive a fast remedy to a mistake, but not to a concern that has been dragged too long. No follow-up. Business doesn’t end when a client purchases a product/service. Follow-up the transaction and get feedback from the customer. Customers have the liberty to choose another business/product/service for their needs and a bad experience gives them a reason to do so. No compensation for bad experience. There are many consumers who can forgive a business if they can get something in return for bad experience. Compensation can be a free product/service, a discount or an alternative item. Being automated. Clients, especially when asking for info, want people to communicate with them, not automated messages or very long phone recordings. Client requests and problems are not automated and people take time just to get someone who is willing to listen and help them. A higher product price. Clients often go for the cheapest product or alternative. If you are going to raise your prices, justify the cost to the client. In addition, you could give incentives to the customer to keep buying the product/service at its higher price. Taking clients for granted. Every business has their classification of customers. Often, many businesses take their long-time and loyal clients for granted, assuming that they will remain patrons.

1. 13
BUSINESS
MISTAKES TO AVOID

2. 1. NOT IN CONSTANT TOUCH

3. A GOOD BUSINESS SHOULD CONSULT THEIR CLIENTS ON A
REGULAR BASIS. BEING IN TOUCH MEANS BEING READY TO
RECEIVE FEEDBACK, ASKING HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT YOUR
PRODUCTS OR SERVICES AND SUGGESTIONS. GIVE ACTIVE
SERVICE AND ANTICIPATE THEIR NEEDS OR PROBLEMS.
WHEN DEALING WITH LONG-TIME OR BIG CLIENTS, GET
PEOPLE TO REGULARLY COMMUNICATE WITH THEM. KEEP IN
MIND: COMMUNICATION WITH CLIENTS IS ONE TOOL TO
AVOID MISTAKES.

4. 2. RUDENESS

5. THERE IS A SAYING THAT THE ‘CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS
RIGHT’. THIS IS NOT ALWAYS TRUE BUT A CERTAIN
RESPECT IS GIVEN TO THE CLIENT. IT DOESN’T MATTER
WHAT A CLIENT’S PERSONALITY OR PERCEIVED
IMPRESSION IS; THEY SHOULD BE TREATED AND
VALUED. THINKING LOW OF THEM MIGHT LEAD TO
OFFENSE AND CLIENTS THINKING LOW OF THE
BUSINESS.

6. 3. A LOUSY CUSTOMER
SERVICE

7. A CLIENT MIGHT BE IN LOVE WITH YOUR
PRODUCT OR SERVICE BUT A LOUSY CUSTOMER
SERVICE WILL DEFINITELY MAKE THEM TURN
TO YOUR COMPETITORS. DON’T MAKE THE
MISTAKE OF HIRING JUST ANYONE OR NOT
PROVIDING TRAINING FOR YOUR CUSTOMER
SERVICE. CLIENTS WOULD FORGIVE A FAST
REMEDY TO A MISTAKE, BUT NOT TO A
CONCERN THAT HAS BEEN DRAGGED TOO
LONG.

8. 4. NO FOLLOW-UP

9. BUSINESS DOESN’T END WHEN A CLIENT
PURCHASES A PRODUCT/SERVICE. FOLLOW-UP
THE TRANSACTION AND GET FEEDBACK FROM
THE CUSTOMER. CUSTOMERS HAVE THE
LIBERTY TO CHOOSE ANOTHER
BUSINESS/PRODUCT/SERVICE FOR THEIR
NEEDS AND A BAD EXPERIENCE GIVES THEM A
REASON TO DO SO.

10. 5. NO COMPENSATION FOR
BAD EXPERIENCE

11. THERE ARE MANY CONSUMERS WHO CAN
FORGIVE A BUSINESS IF THEY CAN GET
SOMETHING IN RETURN FOR BAD EXPERIENCE.
COMPENSATION CAN BE A FREE
PRODUCT/SERVICE, A DISCOUNT OR AN
ALTERNATIVE ITEM.

12. 6. BEING AUTOMATED

13. CLIENTS, ESPECIALLY WHEN ASKING FOR INFO,
WANT PEOPLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH THEM,
NOT AUTOMATED MESSAGES OR VERY LONG
PHONE RECORDINGS. CLIENT REQUESTS AND
PROBLEMS ARE NOT AUTOMATED AND PEOPLE
TAKE TIME JUST TO GET SOMEONE WHO IS
WILLING TO LISTEN AND HELP THEM.

14. 7. A HIGHER PRODUCT
PRICE

15. 7. A HIGHER PRODUCT PRICE. CLIENTS OFTEN
GO FOR THE CHEAPEST PRODUCT OR
ALTERNATIVE. IF YOU ARE GOING TO RAISE
YOUR PRICES, JUSTIFY THE COST TO THE
CLIENT. IN ADDITION, YOU COULD GIVE
INCENTIVES TO THE CUSTOMER TO KEEP
BUYING THE PRODUCT/SERVICE AT ITS HIGHER
PRICE.

16. 8. TAKING CLIENTS FOR
GRANTED

17. TAKING CLIENTS FOR GRANTED. EVERY
BUSINESS HAS THEIR CLASSIFICATION OF
CUSTOMERS. OFTEN, MANY BUSINESSES TAKE
THEIR LONG-TIME AND LOYAL CLIENTS FOR
GRANTED, ASSUMING THAT THEYWILL REMAIN
PATRONS.
HOWEVER, A NO THANK-YOU, BAD SERVICE OR
PERFORMANCE FROM THE BUSINESS CAN GIVE
THEM REASON TO SWITCH FOR A BETTER
COMPANY.

18. 9. NOT GIVING INCENTIVES

19. MANY CLIENTS WOULD OFTEN PATRONIZE A
BUSINESS BECAUSE THEY FEEL THAT THEY ARE
TREATED WELL. DEPRIVING SOME WELLEARNED CLIENTS OF INCENTIVES OR REWARD
PROGRAMS WILL MAKE CLIENTS FEEL THAT
THE BUSINESS DOESN’T CARE.

20. 10. COURTING TOO MUCH
CLIENTS

21. BUSINESSES LIKE TO HAVE CONSTANT TRAFFIC
TO BOOST THE SALES.
HOWEVER, NUMBERS AREN’T ALWAYS THE
SOLUTION. RECRUITING CLIENTS TAKES WORK
AND IT MIGHT EVEN DISTRACT FROM
PROVIDING TO THE PRESENT CLIENTELE.
RATHER THAN HOARD ON CUSTOMERS,
TREAT THE PRESENT CLIENTELE BEST AND
THEY MIGHT JUST KEEP THE BUSINESS AFLOAT.

22. 11. THINKING THAT THE
COMPETITORS AREN’T
WATCHING

23. THIS IS ONE OF THE MAJOR BUSINESS
MISTAKES TO AVOID. ANY BUSINESS IN ANY
NICHE SHOULD ALWAYS BE ON THE LOOK-OUT
FOR COMPETITIONS IN THE SAME NICHE. ANY
MISTAKE ON YOUR BUSINESS PART IS AN
ADVANTAGE TO THEM. ALSO, COUNT ON THE
COMPETITORS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY
KNOW HOW YOUR BUSINESS OPERATES AND
DEAL WITH THE CUSTOMERS.

24. 12. UNDER PERFORMANCE

25. TO ENTICE CUSTOMERS AND EVEN OTHER
BUSINESSES, A COMPANY WOULD OFTEN
PROMISE A LOT OF THINGS AND SOMETIMES,
END UP WITH LESS. THIS SCENARIO GETS
COMPLICATED SINCE CLIENTS DO HAVE A
CERTAIN EXPECTATION THAT HAS TO BE MET.
CREATING AN IMPRESSION AND EXPECTATION
SHOULD BE PROVEN WITH ACTION OR ELSE,
PEOPLE WILL FIND OTHER COMPANIES THAT
CAN DELIVER.

26. 13. LYING

27. CLIENTS LIKE HONESTY, NOT LIES. THEY DON’T
LIKE BEING SOLD TO SOMETHING THAT THEY
DON’T WANT OR NEED. THEY ALSO DON’T LIKE
BEING MADE A FOOL DUE TO AN ERROR THAT
THEY DIDN’T MAKE. LYING TO A CLIENT IS
ALMOST AN INSTANT DEATH WISH FOR ANY
COMPANY. IN ADDITION, THEY WILL LEAVE
FRUSTRATED AND NOT GOING TO COME BACK
AGAIN.

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