SBA Study Determines Why Customers Leave When it comes to the question of why businesses lose customers, the perception that members of the sales staff don’t care ranks as the leading factor, according to a study of all types of small businesses by the Small Business Administration (SBA). Nearly 70% of those polled in the SBA study indicated that the perception of a non-caring staffer led customers to leave and buy from other businesses — by far the strongest response of six factors. Product dissatisfaction ranked second, with 14% of those polled. Price ranked third and was the reason that 9% of customers changed businesses. Recommendations of friends ranked fourth, ahead of moving away and death. The SBA study reinforces the need to pay attention to your customers. Paying attention is more than courtesy and common sense — it also contributes to keeping customers from leaving and taking their business to your competitors. | 
