The Top Five Reasons Customers Don’t Come Back

The Top Five Reasons Customers Don’t Come Back

Whatever you sell, be it a product or service, your customers expect that it will do what it’s supposed to do. If you sell a car, the car should work. If you sell a service, the outcome should meet expectations. That’s table stakes.

So, let’s assume that whatever your customers are buying from you will meet their expectations. However, that’s not always why the customer buys from you in the first place, let alone comes back to buy more. It’s the customer experience that drives that.

In our 2022 Achieving Customer Amazement research, more than 1,000 American consumers were asked, “How likely would you be to switch companies or leave a brand after experiencing any of the following bad customer service experiences?” They were asked to rate several reasons using a scale that ranged from “not likely” to “very likely.” Here are the top five reasons customers would leave:

1. Rudeness or apathy from a company or brand employee — This was the No. 1 reason, coming in at 75%. What’s interesting is that in the late 1970s a study was commissioned by the White House Office of Consumer Affairs, and the top reason for customers leaving (over 70%) was the same. It’s hard to believe that the numbers haven’t changed for 40 years, but this continues to be the No. 1 reason customers don’t come back.

2. Inconsistent information — There is no excuse for inconsistent information. Obviously, this is very frustrating to customers, with 72% saying this would drive them to find someplace else to do business. Have you ever called a company’s customer support number with a question and didn’t like the answer? If you truly believed the answer was incorrect, you may have called back to ask someone else the same question, hoping for a different answer. And it’s amazing how many times you get a different answer.

3. Inability to connect with someone from customer support — Self-service or digital support is becoming more popular. Customers are learning that it’s often quicker and easier to visit a website, read the frequently asked questions or interact with an AI-fueled chatbot. However, there are times when you want to talk to a human. It should be an easy, seamless transition, but some companies hide behind a wall of digital support and make it difficult for a customer to connect to a live agent. Furthermore, some companies bury their customer support number on their website, making it difficult, if not impossible, to find. This third reason customers leave comes in at 71%, just four percentage points off the No. 1 reason.

4. A bad customer service experience — I would think this would be at the top of the list, but at 68%, it takes fourth place. A bad customer service experience is exactly that. It’s just bad. But survey participants considered dealing with a rude or apathetic employee worse than an overall bad experience. My interpretation is that you might get a second chance following an overall bad experience. However, if customers are treated with disrespect (rudeness and apathy), it’s more than likely you won’t see them again.

5. Inconsistent experience — You can’t be great one day, not so great the next day, average another day, etc. Inconsistency erodes confidence. Fifty-nine percent of the customers we surveyed would walk if they didn’t know what to expect. Customers want a consistent and predictable experience. That gives them confidence that they know what to expect every time they do business with you.

As you look at this list, you might think, “I knew that.” Of course, you did. You’re a customer. You don’t want to deal with employees who are rude or apathetic. It bothers you to get inconsistent information, and it’s upsetting when you want to talk with someone from a company but can’t. You get frustrated when you have a bad customer service experience. And you get irritated with an inconsistent experience. Who wouldn’t?

Shep Hyken is a customer service and customer experience expert, keynote speaker, and New York Times, bestselling business author. For information on Shep's virtual training programs, go to www.thecustomerfocus.com. Follow him on Twitter

This article was originally published on Forbes.com.

Check out Shep's latest research in his Achieving Customer Amazement Study.

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Irina Poddubnaia

Founder @ TrackMage | I help DTC ecommerce brands create memorable post-purchase experiences, foster repeat business, customer loyalty, boost sales and streamline ops with TrackMage.

1y

Great insight, Shep Hyken! TrackMage focuses on enhancing e-commerce customer experience post-purchase. It's crucial for customer retention. Would love to read more in your newsletter!

Annemarie Cilliers

Productivity Consultant: Employee Engagement | CRM | Streamlining Processes

2y

I find it fascinating that business owners don't put themselves in the shoes of their customers. Whatever happened to treating others the way you want to be treated? Great article • Shep Hyken - thanks for sharing!

Anita Toth

Hidden Revenue Hunter | Find your first $5K - $50k in hidden revenue without adding new clients | Curiosity score 10/10 |

2y

Wow! I'm surprised/not surprised to read the first stat -- 40 years later and not much has changed.

Spot on 👍 and great interpretation of the study results !

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