Stop Losing Money and Focus on Customer Service (Infographic) Your customers probably don't like you as much as you think. Here's a look at how improving customer service can boost your bottom line.

By Colleen DeBaise

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Sure, it pays to focus on customer acquisition -- but what about customer retention first?

According to the infographic below, 80% of businesses believe they provide "superior" customer service. But only 8% of customers would describe the service they've received in such glowing terms. When customers aren't happy, there's often significant damage done. In fact, U.S. businesses collectively lose an estimated $83 billion a year due to shoddy customer service.

The following visual comes from Shankman Honig, a customer-service consultancy in New York. "Be nice to the customers you have," the firm says. "You'll win the customers you want."

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Stop Losing Money and Focus on Customer Service (Infographic)

Colleen DeBaise is special projects director at Entrepreneur.com.

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