Why do customers take their business elsewhere? Sure, sometimes it's about dissatisfaction with the quality or price of the product or service. More often, though, it's about dissatisfaction with people.

Why they leave

The majority of customers take their business elsewhere because salespeople don't listen to what they say or ignore them completely. They also object to salespeople who don't do what they say they will or don't follow up or follow through.

Here are tips that may help your salespeople remember to keep their commitments:

• Always do what you say you will when you promise to do it.
• Don't make a commitment you may not be able to keep. Think about the amount of time you need to resolve a problem and make your commitment accordingly.
• Customers would rather have you commit to a realistic time frame than a time frame that sounds good but is unrealistic.
• If you make a commitment that you can't meet, call your customer and explain the delay. Most customers are understanding as long as you are honest with them.
• When making commitments, try to avoid words such as “as soon as possible” or “right away.” These time frames may mean one thing to you, but they probably mean something different to your customer.
• Try to give a definite time commitment for your answer to a question or problem. Customers appreciate hearing a definite time and day rather than “I'll call you back when I have an answer.”

Adapted from Award-Winning Customer Service (AMACOM) by Renee Evenson. Ms. Evenson has worked in customer service management for 30 years and is the author of Customer Service Training 101.