I spent, no, wasted 85 minutes of my life on hold with my cable company. All I wanted to do was remove one channel from my package.
One channel. 85 minutes.
What really gets to me is that when they wanted my money, all it took was one click, and I was subscribed. But when I wanted to cancel? I had to call, wait over an hour, and deal with terrible hold music. That is a broken business model.
If you're doing anything similar as a small business owner, you're driving customers away. It should be just as easy to cancel as it is to get the service.
I’ll share why it’s important and what you can learn from my frustration.
The Subscribe Button Works Both Ways
Your cable company makes it easy to add services. Click, subscribe, done. Your credit card gets charged and you get a confirmation email within seconds.
Trying to cancel a service is intentionally difficult. They hope you'll give up and keep paying.
How many customers just accept the extra charges because it's too much hassle? Probably a lot. I almost did. I hung up multiple times after 20 minutes because my time is worth more than $25 a month.
Learn From Amazon (Even If You're Not a Fan)
Whether you love them or hate them, Amazon understands customer service. They make it easy to give them your money AND get your money back. Returns are simple. Customer service responds quickly. That's why they dominate.
I can buy something with one click and return it just as easily. No interrogation about why I'm returning it or long phone calls. Just simple, frictionless service.
Your Business Needs This Same Mindset
Here's my challenge to you: you’re a small business that has small business processes. Are you making it easy for customers to work with you at every stage?
That means:
- Making purchases simple – Make your checkout process incredibly easy.
- Having painless services changes - If someone wants to upgrade, downgrade, or modify their services, don't make them jump through hoops.
- Respectful cancellations - Yes, that means easy cancellations/returns. It makes your business look great. Customers will remember it and may even come back later.
You may not even know where your blindspots are. If this interests you, I have a blindspot assessment that helps small businesses get clarity on their next steps. It always helps to have an extra pair of eyes.
The Cost of Bad Service (Losing a Customer)
Small businesses can't afford to operate like big telecoms. We don't have captive markets or limited competition. Our customers have endless choices. If they feel like your service is at all complicated, they go use those other options.
Customers end up leaving because things are difficult, but also tell their friends about their bad experience. The word-of-mouth damage is a real possibility.
On the other hand, exceptional service creates raving fans. People remember businesses that make life easier.
Make Your Sales AND Cancellations Easy!
Take the time to walk through your customer journey from start to finish. Pretend you're a new customer trying to buy from you. Then pretend you're an existing customer trying to change or cancel something.
Is it easy? Is it frustrating? Be radically honest with yourself.
Here’s an easy 5-step way to improve your sales engine:
- Find friction points
- Fix those friction points
- Add online self-service options.
- Train your team to solve problems quickly
- Remove unnecessary steps that waste your customers' time
Your clients are busy running their own lives and businesses. They don't have 85 minutes to waste on hold, and they won't forget if you make them try.
Treat every customer like you want them for life, not just until you get their first payment. Make it easy to do business with you at every single touchpoint.
I have to mention my episode of the Stern Truth podcast on this subject. I was incensed, and you might be able to hear it in my voice. The Stern Truth is, if I had another viable option for cable service, I would have switched by now.
Don't give your own customers a reason to switch.
Does your business feel stalled? Join my Momentum Mentorship group and get expert guidance to make strategic decisions about your business and get you living the life you truly desire.
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