How do I win back valued customers when I’ve burned bridges?

Rock, I admit I’ve been careless with customers when times were good in my grand format printing business. Now things are tighter, and we’re working through other issues, like supply chain and materials shortages. I can’t afford to let any customers go elsewhere. I’ve talked it over with my team, and we are ready to win back the customers I let slip away. To be honest, in some situations, the relationship did not end on good terms. Maybe it was my fault, maybe not. Either way, I feel like I need to be the one to reach out and repair relationships to move things forward. What do you recommend?

We all have times in our businesses when we get distracted or make mistakes. When we lose a valued customer, we vow never to let it happen again. And yet, in your tone and description, I get the feeling you have made it a habit to end customer relationships on a sour note.

When you have a reputation as being a difficult provider, it will take more than reaching out to former customers to bring them back. I’m glad you are talking to your team about your plan, and I hope they are prepared to be honest with you.

Before you try to win back your lost customers, I strongly recommend you meet with a leadership advisor. I’d like to talk to you personally and then refer you to a leadership and executive coach.

This is not optional. It’s imperative.

You need to take a clear look at yourself and work on critical areas before you make the same mistakes with customers. If they pissed you off before, they will piss you off again unless you get hold of yourself.

You’ll be right back where you started, with more burned bridges.

Please read my advise out loud to your people and tell me: Did their jaws drop? Did they snicker? Did they say, “Yes, boss, that describes you to a T.”

I can give you tough love because I know owners can fool themselves into thinking they’ve changed.

The only thing that has changed is your need for customers. They don’t need you.

You need to identify your role in these fractured customer relationships. Only then can we figure out how to repair relationships and regain trust. We’ll even discuss whether you should be interacting with customers at all. I can walk you through it when you’re ready.

In the meantime, I recommend you read one our FREE guide, Code Red: 12 Seller Mistakes, which covers issues I commonly see with owners of graphic arts companies.

You will benefit from seeing the big picture. Your business does not exist in a vacuum. How you are perceived in the industry matters.

If you’d like to discuss it further, get in touch. We’d like to help.