Customer service personnel often bear the wrath of angry clients.
Clients tend to get frustrated or angry when customer service fails to resolve their problems.
It seems like the customer service personnel should be blamed when clients leave.
But they shouldn't.
Because clients come with a problem that isn't caused by customer service.
The problems usually happen during fulfillment of the product or service.
The seeds of retention failure are usually planted before the sale... Not after.
Customer service is there to support the clients to the best of their abilities.
They are there to do damage control.
They are not the source of the problem if clients choose to leave.
You must first understand that retention is an outcome.
If we compare your business to a river...
Retention is a downstream issue.
When the river is found to be polluted downstream...
The source of the pollutant is usually upstream.
Similarly, if there's a lack of water flow at the tributaries...
Then the blockage should be found upstream.
How should we apply this to businesses?
It means...
Look for the leader when there are retention problems.
Everything starts from the top.
Whoever leads the direction of the company...
Sets the business philosophy...
Creates the culture...
Plans and ideates the systems and processes...
Shall be responsible for retaining clients.
Notice I didn't mention the position?
I didn't say it's the CEO...
Or the founder...
Or the manager, etc.
I said, leader.
Because the CEO and the founder may not be the same person.
The CEO may have a different philosophy from the founder.
The manager may also deviate from the core philosophy if the KPI incentivizes such behaviors.
In such circumstances, there needs to be corrective action to fix the misalignment.
The leader sets the philosophy and the direction that the company is headed.
The right team members must be hired to build the right culture.
Team members' values need to align with the philosophy.
The messaging used in marketing...
The language used in sales conversations...
The attitude during delivery and fulfillment...
Will be a reflection of the business philosophy.
If the leader's philosophy is Profits > People...
Then the business culture will be one of "Profits at all costs".
Extractive behaviors will be justified.
People become resources to be extracted, exploited, and manipulated.
Because people are now merely numbers on a dashboard.
Eventually... Team members will feel burnt out and resentful.
Clients will start to leave.
Humans like to feel valued and respected.
No one likes to feel extracted.
A profits-first mentality breaks trust.
It also destroys any meaning left in staying.
Because to a person... It's meaningless to feel like a resource to be extracted.
What happens if the philosophy is People > Profits?
The business culture will be one that emphasizes care and empathy.
Because the leader understands a simple principle:
If I take good care of my team members... My team members will take good care of my clients.
The messaging used in marketing will provide clarity rather than being full of hype.
Over-promising and under-delivery will not be a feature.
Sales conversations will focus on understanding the prospect and making sure it's the right fit.
If it's not a fit... It's ok to tell the prospect honestly.
The prospect feels their interests are prioritized.
If it's a good fit, the transaction goes through.
The client is delighted with the great experience.
This builds trust.
Positive word-of-mouth spreads.
The reputation of being trustworthy compounds over time.
Reciprocity is part of human nature.
The business is a mirror of the leader who runs the business.
Business is about value creation.
It's about service > extraction.
It's about striving for a win-win between the client and the business.
By now, you should understand that customer service isn't the key to retaining clients.
The key person responsible is the leader running the business.
Customer service is the last line of defence before the client leaves.
Some clients may also leave without even looking for customer service.
Because when trust leaks accumulate...
People start to detach emotionally.
Once trust is broken...
It usually doesn't heal.
The client is very unlikely to return.
If you want more clients to stay willingly and happily... Without contracts or gimmicks...
Prioritize the right philosophy that aligns with human nature:
People > Profits.
Always.
- Herek
P.S. If you'd like to explore more of my Client Retention content...
Feel free to follow me on the following platforms:
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P.P.S. In case you missed it... Read the Client Retention Top 10 FAQs HERE. Then you'll understand our philosophy behind everything we do.
I look forward to sharing more with you in the next post.
If you enjoyed reading this post... Feel free to check out the other posts!
#8: What Is The Retention Architecture Model: The 3 Layers Explained
#9: The Hidden Costs Of Ignoring Retention Principles (No One Talks About This)
#10: Why Clients Still Leave Despite Enjoying Great Service?
#11: Why Have Traditional Marketing Tactics Lost Effectiveness?
#13: Why Businesses Lose Clients: The Hidden Role Of Trust Leaks
#16: Where Does Client Trust Break Down? The Trust Leak Stages Explained
#17: Why Tactical Optimization Can't Fix Weak Business Foundations
#18: What Should Consultants Do When Clients Insist On Their Ideas?
#21: Why Do Clients Request A Refund? (It's Not What You Think)
#22: Case Study 1 - How Retention Principles Saved A Marriage...
#25: Read This If You Use AI In Business (It's Killing Client Retention... And More)
#29: How To Increase Client Lifetime Value Using Retention Principles
#30: Why Most Client Retention Tactics Don't Work (And What Actually Does)
#31: Why Business Partnerships Fail (And How Retention Principles Fix It)
#32: How To Increase Client Retention (Without Contracts & Loyalty Programs)
#33: Planned Obsolescence: How Software Updates Quietly Profit From Your Trust
#34: The Retention Architecture System: How All The Frameworks Come Together
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