Never Lose A Customer Again

What happens after buyers invest in your product or service? Your approach in those first crucial moments could determine whether they stay loyal or leave forever.

1. Winning customers begins after the sale

Most businesses focus their energy on attracting and securing new customers, but they often overlook the customer experience that follows a sale. Joey Coleman emphasizes that taking care of a customer post-purchase is where true customer retention begins. Treating customers as valued individuals, not just sales numbers, sets the tone for long-term loyalty.

Coleman shares a personal story about visiting a dentist after an emergency, where he experienced exceptional service. From the receptionist's empathetic response to follow-up care, every action showed genuine concern for his well-being. This elevated the interaction from a standard transaction to a meaningful relationship.

The post-sale phase is when businesses can build trust by going above and beyond. Leaving customers feeling heard and valued reduces their chances of wandering to competitors. Companies that fail in this area squander their hard-earned clientele.

Examples

• A dentist’s office rearranging a schedule to prioritize an emergency patient.
• A post-treatment follow-up call checking on the patient's health.
• Personalized communication, like sending online forms to save waiting time.

2. Why customers disappear after the purchase

Poor after-sales experiences are a hidden trap that causes companies to lose up to 70% of customers within three months. Businesses invest heavily in acquiring customers but often neglect to nurture relationships, leading to dissatisfaction and eventual losses.

Consider the banking industry: banks spend $300 on average for each new customer acquisition. Yet, startlingly, 32% of these customers leave within the first year. Often, this betrayal stems from unmet expectations or hidden pitfalls such as confusing small print in agreements, resulting in frustration.

Addressing after-sale customer experiences requires proactive effort. Companies must identify pain points, such as unclear policies or lack of follow-up, that alienate customers and replace them with positive, transparent, and engaging interactions.

Examples

• A customer unhappy with hidden contract clauses feeling misled.
• Medical insurance clients receiving unexpected bills due to confusing terms.
• Restaurants sending thank-you notes or follow-up discounts post-meal.

3. The disconnect between sales and customer service

Customers often feel like they’re dealing with two different companies when transitioning from sales to customer support. Sales teams work to build trust, while service representatives might unintentionally break it with rushed interactions or a lack of context.

An analogy Coleman uses is dating: imagine being wooed by someone thoughtful, only to have them replaced with an indifferent stranger after engagement. This happens when customer-facing departments fail to share knowledge. Breaking this chain can make customers feel unimportant as they’re forced to repeat their experiences or preferences.

This misalignment reflects larger organizational priorities. Many companies praise sales achievements while overlooking retention metrics. Shifting focus to customer care teams ensures consistency and builds stronger relationships.

Examples

• A customer having to re-explain an issue to customer support after speaking to sales.
• Businesses emphasizing speed over empathy when resolving complaints.
• Leaders with sales backgrounds focusing predominately on acquisition metrics.

4. Customer Service vs. Customer Experience

It’s easy to confuse customer service with customer experience, yet they are distinct. Customer service is reactive—it helps customers resolve issues. Customer experience is proactive—it shapes the emotions and perceptions connected to your brand.

Customer service happens in response to a query or problem, such as helping a shopper find an item in-store. Meanwhile, customer experience encompasses the entire customer journey: the environment, design, and attached emotions. Strategic customer experience aims to exceed expectations to foster brand loyalty.

Bain & Company research highlights a shocking gap: while 80% of companies believe they deliver great service, only 8% of customers agree. Designing delightful experiences can narrow this gap and inspire fresh attachment to your brand.

Examples

• Proactively celebrating a client’s milestones with personalized gestures.
• Comparing thoughtful packaging design versus handing off bare products.
• Tracking emotional cues during customer surveys for better feedback.

5. The Assess Phase: Earning trust before the sale

The Assess phase is where potential customers evaluate your business, forming initial expectations. This is your opening to position yourself as the top choice by thoughtfully exceeding their expectations.

Coleman shared his experience as a sales director where he sent small, appreciated gifts to potential clients. An example involved sending a golfing enthusiast a ball from a well-known course after a meeting, subtly promising consistent thoughtfulness.

Sowing seeds of appreciation early makes potential clients more likely to continue their journey with you. Thoughtful actions signal that your business goes above standard practices.

Examples

• Sending personalized notes to potential leads based on preferences.
• Preparing FAQ booklets that ease the decision-making process.
• Offering free trial experiences or exclusive previews of services.

6. The Admit Phase: Celebrating newfound solutions

In the Admit phase, clients realize your products or services can solve their problems. They are often excited, and meeting this enthusiasm with equal celebration deepens their positive feelings.

Companies like Ridemakerz amplify kids’ joy by announcing toy car purchases on loudspeakers and encouraging staff cheers. This acknowledgment transforms an ordinary moment into a lasting memory tied to the service.

Recognizing their optimism sets the stage for a long-term connection. Customers relish brands that share their excitement and confidently reaffirm their decisions.

Examples

• Announcing new customers enthusiastically on social media.
• Including surprise rewards after the checkout experience.
• Congratulating clients on their decisions through special packaging.

7. The Affirm Phase: Soothing second thoughts

After an emotional high, customers often experience buyer’s remorse, worrying if they’ve made the right choice. This phase requires reassurance to calm fears and reinforce their decision.

Timely, positive messages during this phase, such as thank-you notes or follow-up conversations, help mitigate doubts. Focusing on affirming your customer’s choice can reverse any negative emotions brewing during the Affirm phase.

Brands that skip reassuring customers during this window risk losing their loyalty before it forms. Thoughtful reinforcement feels like validation, reaffirming trust.

Examples

• Following up with thank-you calls post-purchase.
• Offering accessible customer helplines or onboarding guides.
• Hand-delivering small perks reinforcing purchase benefits.

8. Timing and matching rewards to retention efforts

One common mistake is rushing to ask new customers for referrals too early. Customers must love your product or service first; otherwise, asking for recommendations will seem selfish and insincere.

Companies must time referral requests appropriately—after customers have formed positive connections. Additionally, incentive systems must align with the value customers associate with your brand.

A luxury car dealership offering minuscule rewards for referrals, for instance, would alienate buyers rather than entice them. Gestures should match market expectations to feel authentic.

Examples

• Delaying referral requests until after two months of active service use.
• Matching high-value purchases with exclusive incentive tiers.
• Rewarding loyalty anniversaries to deepen emotional bonds.

9. Measuring your true customer experience

Most businesses cannot accurately gauge the success of their customer experience efforts. Leaders tend to make guesses about service quality without consistent metrics—a behavior detrimental to self-improvement efforts.

Creating systems that track and gather regular customer feedback can guide actionable improvements. Real metrics—combined with proactive changes—ensure customers keep returning or referring others.

Focusing on how customers feel eliminates blind spots and misalignments between intent and outcome, inviting new paths for growth.

Examples

• Surveying customer satisfaction scores during key stages of their journey.
• Actively contacting lost clients for feedback about potential exits.
• Offering discounts to encourage comprehensive service evaluations.

Takeaways

1. Follow every purchase with a personalized message showing genuine appreciation for the customer.
2. Rethink how teams across sales and service departments communicate and align customer data.
3. Surprise and delight customers at unexpected moments to create lasting emotional connections.