The Biggest Ways Businesses Can Waste The Customer’s Time

Any business owner should understand the struggle that it can take to win a customer’s time and attention. So, when you get it, are you prone to wasting it? There are a lot of ways that businesses can waste their customers’ time without even really noticing it. Here, we’re going to look at some of the biggest culprits, and what you can do to ensure you’re not falling into those same mistakes.

Getting in their way

A lot of your customers, especially your repeat customers, are going to know exactly what they want, and they might have no problem with going and getting it themselves. However, if your site or in-store experience insists on holding their hand for too long, it can frustrate and confuse them to the point that they might simply abandon their shopping cart. Self-service portals are becoming a lot more popular for that exact reason, whether it’s the self-checkout in the physical store, or portals that allow customers to manage the services they get from your business online. Let them take control when they know what they want.

Don’t make it tough to pay

Nowadays, you should be well aware that customers have their buying preferences and that if you’re not willing to meet them where they are, then they’re less likely to shop with you. Account for the options that customers like, and don’t limit them to having to get cash out or use specific payment methods. Even if you get them to pay that one time, they’re less likely to use you in the future. Make sure that you’re able to accept their preferred methods of paying with things like credit card processing and online merchant accounts like PayPal. Make the process as short and sweet as possible, and make it easy to always see the end of the checkout process so they don’t abandon their cart in the meantime.

Don’t let them spend too long looking for answers

As well-designed as your store or your website might be, you are going to have those customers who have problems getting the outcome that they want. You shouldn’t simply leave them to languish in their confusion, but be proactive in giving them the help that they need. A customer having an issue doesn’t necessarily need to be a deal-breaker for them, but having trouble getting the help they need certainly can be. Do not hide your customer support behind a web of links, and don’t make it overly difficult for a customer to get in touch with a real person. With the help of tools like on-site chat widgets, you can make it a lot quicker and easier for them to get the support they need.

Your customer’s time is a precious commodity, and if you don’t spend it well, then you can expect that they’re not going to want to spend their money with you, either. Look at the other ways that your business might be misusing their time and find the fixes to those issues.