Customer Experience News & Trends

Why customers leave – and what you can do to prevent it

Customers rarely tell you why they leave. They just do it quietly. This new research shows you the top reasons.

Most customers leave because they didn’t like the experience – not because the product or service failed them, a Satmetrix poll found.

The top reasons include:

  • 23% Unfair fees or charges
  • 22% Poor product or service quality
  • 19% Rude or disinterested employees
  • 12% Couldn’t get hold of anyone to deal with my problem
  • 7% Discounts for new customers but not for existing customers
  • 4% Inadequate return or refund policy
  • 5% Had to deal with out-of-area call centers

You likely don’t have control over product or service quality. But you can do a lot to make customers’ experiences better so they don’t leave this year.

A few ideas based on the top reasons customers quit companies last year:

  • Tell customers about new fees or price changes immediately. If they want to know more, explain the reasons.
  • Show interest. Let customers know you’re listening by taking notes and saying something such as, “I want to make sure I have this right” before paraphrasing their situation.
  • Give them many outlets to get issues resolved. Remind them of your e-mail address, website, toll-free number or direct line when you chat, on invoices and any correspondence.

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