A customer recently reached out to an organization asking a question regarding the availability of an online video. The organization did quickly respond to him, however, they completely missed the opportunity to build a relationship with the customer.

The email had no salutation at all. No “Hello,” “Dear Mr. __,” “Thank you for reaching out.” Nothing. The email contained two sentences: “Yes. We will send you the link in a few days.”

That’s it.

While I’m sure the customer appreciated the quick response, the answer sounded as if it came from a child rather than a customer service representative. This particular organization is in an industry hard hit by Covid and you would think they would take every opportunity to retain customers in a time when they cannot provide their usual products and services. But they aren’t. 

Customer retention doesn’t just happen. It requires taking action to build relationships. Even in pre-Covid times, many organizations had missed opportunities to improve those relationships. But now, these are opportunities that most businesses cannot afford to miss.