No excuses. When you lose a customer to a competitor, it’s always your fault the Inc.com article “How to Keep Your Customers Loyal” explains. No matter what the reason for their switch, there’s something you could have done to prevent it. Here are four primary reasons why a client may look to another provider and how to keep it from happening:

1. The competition undercut your price. This should only be an issue if your services are standard and easy to replace. Make price a relative non-factor by offering customized services with added value, making the experience at your business nearly impossible to duplicate. Sure, some people will always go for the lowest price, but your loyal customer base won’t want to sacrifice.

2. The customers got lousy service. Nothing pushes clients out the door like bad customer service. With many alternatives in most markets, just one bad experience is likely to have them looking for other options.

3. Your product quality dropped. This one applies more to services than products in this industry, but the lesson remains the same – don’t cut corners. Frugality is good, but not if it’s going to negatively impact the customer experience. The cost of losing even a couple loyal customers will most likely outweigh money saved by sacrificing extras or failing to keep equipment up-to-date.

4. The customer’s needs changed. When a client’s needs change, you should be ready and willing to adapt. The key is communication. If you don’t recognize the need to adapt at an early stage, it will probably be too late. Developing personal relationships with customers, and encouraging them to give honest feedback are the best ways to keep in touch with their wants and needs.

Click here to read the entire article from Inc.com.