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How to Scare Away Customers

October 31, 2012 By Joe Rawlinson

Halloween (October 31st) is a good time to remember what really scares us and our customers.

For a business, the prospect of losing customers is scary. When you consider that it might be your own company that is driving customers away, that is even scarier.

Here are surefire ways to scare away your customers. Avoid them at all costs.

Don’t Allow Returns Or Guarantees

Prospective customers are full of doubts and concerns. What if your product doesn’t work? What if it isn’t a good fit? What if I get the wrong thing?

Flexible and clearly stated return policies and guarantees help negate these concerns. The customers feel confident that they can make the purchase and always bring it back if something goes wrong.

When you don’t allow returns and don’t guarantee your product, you are losing sales to those customers who aren’t totally convinced you are the best match for them.

Be Impossible to Find

Customers will be scared away if they come looking for you and can’t find you. Perhaps they heard about you from a friend or saw one of your advertisements.

If you don’t show up in Google search, you don’t exist for the customer.

If your store hours are too restrictive for prospective customers, they will shop elsewhere.

If your website goes down or is hard to navigate, your potential customers will leave.

Be available. Be findable. Be where your customers are looking when they are looking for you.

Argue with Customers

There is an old idiom that “the customer is always right.” In reality, this isn’t always right. However, when you get angry with customers, shout at them, or try to argue the point, you will scare them away.

Disagreements can be settled peacefully and in an orderly fashion. Control your temper and you’ll keep the customer.

Sell Crappy Products

If your product doesn’t live up to customer expectations, you will not have repeat customers.

No amount of marketing can make up for a poor product. Invest your time and efforts into quality products that complement your marketing and sales efforts. This unified approach will increase your odds of success.

Welcome Customers Your Competition Scares Away

Once you shore up your business and avoid the mistakes above, be prepared to attract and sell to customers scared away from your competition.

Offer a stark contrast between your business and your competition. Where they are deficient, highlight your strengths.

Ask customers why they didn’t choose the competition or what they are concerned about. Then position your products and services as the solution to those problems. Help the customer realize that they have nothing to fear when doing business with you.

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