How To Win Back Lost Customers (14 Ways)

Churn and customer satisfaction go hand in hand for obvious reasons. Unhappy customers are more likely to go elsewhere for better service taking some of your revenue with them. Read these 14 ways to win back lost customers and make your business more profitable.

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In this article:

• Why Customer Loyalty is Important
• 14 Ways to Win Back Lost Customers

1. 1. Decide if you want your lost customer back
   2. Ask why they left
   3. Take responsibility
   4. Engage with your customers
   5. Encourage their contribution
   6. Measure customer satisfaction
   7. Create a customer service-centric environment
   8. Personalize communication
   9. Inform customers
   10. Use social media
   11. Reward customers
   12. Don’t let them leave in the first place
   13. Promote your product
   14. Build more rapport

Win Back Lost Customers: Tips

Why Customer Loyalty is Important

Loyal customers are profitable. Customer loyalty improves profits by: –

• encouraging repeat business
• generating referrals
• establishing a favorable price premium
• reducing the operating costs for a business

It’s important for companies to find new customers, but a business’s existing customer base can determine the foundation of their future success.

Focussing on providing a good customer experience is key to increased revenue. Whether great customer experience becomes more important to driving sales than product or price is yet to be seen, but many industry experts believe so, and the following statistics back this up.

Each year, $136.8 billion is lost by U.S. companies due to avoidable consumer switching. (CallMiner)

Over half of Americans have canceled a transaction due to bad service. (American Express)

A third of Americans say they will leave a company and switch to another after just one incident of bad service. (American Express)

Also, one in three customers will pay more money to receive a better level of service. (Genesys)

15 Ways to Win Back Lost Customers

Decide if you want your lost customer back

First of all, decide whether you want your lost customer back? Not every customer is ideal and depending on your relationship the best decision could be to let them leave happy, so they continue to refer to you.

Ask why they left

Ask your customers why they left. Let your former customer know they are valued and that you’re interested in knowing why the business was lost, and of course, what you can do to win them back.

Targeting common pain points will also increase retention across the board. Gaining feedback will help you understand your customers, but you will have to take action if you want to win back lost customers.

Take responsibility

Admit that you could have done better, and what you will do to make changes. Work on the basis that there are logical solutions to fixing any previous problems and don’t make it sound like you’re following rigid guidelines that can’t be changed to help your customer.

Assuming responsibility could win back lost customers but getting hold of your ex-customers will be more difficult once they’ve left. After poor customer service, a customer is likely to avoid contact with you.

Engage with your customers

Your main goal should be to fulfill all their needs and deliver full satisfaction. Ask your customers for feedback regularly while they are still customers. Engaging with them will show you want to make a difference. There are many surveys available, and through different media, asking questions like “would you recommend our business to others”?

Encourage their contribution

Encourage customers to express their concerns and share feedback, possibly by offering rewards. Make it apparent that you value their contribution.

Measure customer satisfaction

Measure customer expectations and set goals for your sales and service teams. Metrics reflect how your customers are feeling, but only generically. Integrate surveys within your sales platforms.

Create a customer service-centric environment

Don’t just incentivize staff for sales but also reward them for providing excellent service. Not all bonuses should be based on sales figures and service and sales should go hand in hand. Build a customer service-centric environment and share good news stories. It’s unlikely you’ll be able to fake a good relationship with your customers and as a leader, you should devote resources and strategy to better customer experience.

Personalize communication

Personalize your communication with your former customer and tell them they have been missed. A generic email will not work as they will want to know they are special. Provide your undivided attention.

Inform customers

Provide any information about new products or services since they left. Offer discounts or promotions.

Use social media

Social media marketing is important for businesses to connect with their customers and build relationships. Use this tool to improve customer service, develop public relations, and increase customer acquisition. If your previous customers take to social media to complain, they must be responded to, preferably in a private conversation.

Reward customers

Other than service, most exiting customers will be trying to save money and reduce costs. New customer deals make existing customers feel less valued, so ensure they are rewarded enough.

Don’t let them leave in the first place

Don’t let your customers leave in the first instance. Have a well-developed customer retention department to specifically work with customers intending to walk away. Try to assure your customers that things will change.

Promote your product

Believe in your product or service and tell your customers the positive aspects that made them ‘sign up’ the first time. Your product is the reason they connected in the first place so add value through your products and services. Offering high-quality products/services, that are keeping up with expectations, will drive customer loyalty.

Build more rapport

Build more rapport. Ask or remind your customer what was good during the relationship. Cultivate a mutually beneficial relationship and let your customer feel invested in the future of your business.

Increasing customer loyalty is a business tactic that advantages an organization now and helps to ensure its survival in the future. Combating churn and boosting customer retention will help your organization grow; it’s rational to think keeping an existing customer is cheaper than acquiring a new one.

What are the main reasons your business sees churn? What other tips can you provide on how to win back lost customers? Please comment in the section below.

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Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on May 16, 2018, and has been updated for quality and relevancy.