The best customers are your existing customers. Some agree with that statement and some don't. There are some customers you'd probably rather be without, but it is less costly for the agency to retain existing customers than it is to develop new ones.
It is easy to become complacent about the people with whom you're already doing business. But with your competitors hungry for more business and your customers more educated than ever, every effort must be made to retain your current customers. Don't assume anything!
Here's a handy problem-solving checklist that will help your agency isolate a problem and assign someone to solve it.
PROBLEM SOLVING
WHO WHEN
DEFINE THE PROBLEM _____________ _____________
Find the original cause.
* Sometimes the problem you are concerned with is really only a symptom of a larger problem.
GET THE FACTS _____________ ______________
Talk individually with each person involved to get the whole story.
* Be cautious of hearsay.
WEIGH AND DECIDE _____________ ______________
Fit the facts together.
* Jumping to conclusions could lead to an incorrect decision.
Evaluate your options.
* There's usually more than one way to solve a problem.
Consider the possible effects of each optional solution.
TAKE ACTION _____________ ______________
Take personal responsibility immediately to get results.
* Don't pass the buck, and don't assume the next person will fix things for you.
Attack the root cause to ensure it will never be a problem again.
CHECK THE RESULTS _____________ _____________
Don't assume the next person will do his or her share.
Be sure your decision and action will get the desired results.
Check back to be sure the problem was finally solved.