Have you ever felt the complacency or change in approach from a leading organisation when it comes to acquiring a new customer vs maintaining a post-sales relationship?
Most of us would say yes.
If yes, you’re not alone. It’s a tale many of us have lived – often painfully.
On a recent visit to a well-known private bank, I experienced this first-hand. It was a Saturday morning – technically a half-day for bank staff. I had to deposit money for an EMI. None of their CDMs (Cash Deposit Machines) were working, and only one teller window was open, with a long queue in front of it. While other staff members were visibly present behind the counters, they didn’t seem to care.
I approached the manager and asked why other windows weren’t open. His cold reply: “It’s Saturday.”
I pointed out that none of the CDMs were working. His initial reaction suggested he thought I was exaggerating. He picked up his phone and casually asked a colleague, “Are CDMs not working?” I had to push him firmly to take action. He said he’d open the other windows “right away,” but nothing happened even after 10 minutes.
Frustrated, I went to the account manager’s window and told them I wanted to close my account – an account I’ve maintained with them for over 25 years. The moment I mentioned the words “pathetic customer service,” suddenly, teller windows started opening.
Related Reading: 4 Tips for Leaders to G.E.A.R Up For a Customer Centric World
The Painful Truth: Most Organizations Have a “Pre-Sale Face” and a “Post-Sale Reality”
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Why does it take the threat of losing a customer for organisations to act? Why do so many companies fail to uphold strong customer relationships once the sale is made?
Why do some organizations seem to care deeply only before a sale is made? Why does customer experience feel like a bait-and-switch act once money has changed hands?
In today’s competitive world, acquiring new customers is tough. Yet, internal inefficiencies and apathy often ruin the customer experience.
This isn’t just a customer service issue. It’s a leadership, culture, and accountability issue.
In our work with organizations across industries, we’ve seen a common pattern: Teams are often laser-focused on acquisition metrics – new clients, new deals, conversions. Yet, the back-end experience – the delivery, the follow-through, the relationship-building – is frequently under-resourced, poorly monitored, or culturally undervalued.
A Wake-Up Call for L&D and HR Professionals
As professionals in learning, development, and people management, this should deeply concern us. Because how your teams treat customers post-sale is not just a function of training – it’s a reflection of your culture, leadership modelling, and internal accountability systems.
Some questions worth asking:
- Do our teams understand the lifetime value of a customer—or only their initial sale value?
- Are we promoting a culture of responsiveness and care—or one that celebrates only deal closures?
- How do we equip teams, especially frontline staff, to uphold service excellence consistently?
Related Reading: Different Ways To Measure Customer Satisfaction
The “Two Cultures” Dilemma
We’ve observed that many organizations unconsciously operate with two distinct cultures:
- The sales culture, where energy is high, timelines are tight, and responsiveness is sharp.
- The delivery culture, where things slow down, communication becomes patchy, and proactivity fades.
This split often leads to internal friction and client disappointment. It’s no surprise then that many teams report burnout, disengagement, and a creeping cynicism about whether “excellence” is truly valued—beyond the pitch deck.
What Does Good Post-Sales Look Like?
At FocusU, we’ve made an intentional choice to bridge this divide. We have a dedicated Client Success (CS) function that ensures a seamless post-sales journey. Once the Client Advisory team onboards a new client, CS takes over – to address queries, resolve doubts, and ensure that the ball is never dropped.
They:
- Check in with clients regularly to resolve queries.
- Anticipate potential hiccups before they become issues.
- Offer after-action reviews to capture learnings and deepen relationships.
More importantly, they ensure that no ball is ever dropped.
Related Reading: How to be more customer centric in the Experiential Sector?
What This Means for Learning Professionals
In our experience, improving post-sales behavior isn’t just about teaching customer service skills. It requires:
1. Embedding Accountability into Culture
Teams must see post-sales delivery as equally mission-critical as pre-sales wins. This calls for performance management systems that reward ownership and not just output.
2. Developing Empathy-Driven Leadership
Empathy is often talked about but rarely trained for. Leaders need to be equipped to model it in tough moments—especially when clients are frustrated or expectations have not been met.
3. Building Feedback Loops that Matter
Most post-sales gaps are not due to lack of knowledge, but lack of real-time visibility. Cross-functional feedback, client voice forums, and open retrospective conversations are key.
4. Training for Resilience, Not Just Readiness
Customer-facing teams often bear the brunt of internal misalignments. Equipping them with emotional agility and communication tools to handle such moments gracefully can transform their experience—and that of the client.
Two Realities, One Choice
You can either:
- Continue celebrating new logos and tolerate post-sale drop-offs.
- Or, create a culture where every touchpoint reflects your brand values.
At FocusU, we strive for the latter. As Walt Disney beautifully described:
“Customers are our guests.”
This is not a motto for our sales team alone – it’s a mindset that runs through our delivery, logistics, operations, and leadership.
Related Reading: How To Stage An Experience For Your Customers
Final Thought: What Are You Really Measuring?
As an L&D or HR leader, ask yourself:
- Do your surveys and KPIs reflect post-sales experiences?
- Are service breakdowns traced back to root causes—or treated as isolated incidents?
- Are client retention and relationship depth part of your people dashboard?
Because in the end, how a team shows up when the contract is already signed is the real test of organizational integrity.
Your Turn
So, how would you rate your organization’s post-sales experience?
What would your longest-standing customers say about how they’re treated today?
It’s a tough question – but an important one. And perhaps, the one your culture most urgently needs to answer.
Related Reading: 100 Inspiring Quotations on Customer Service
