As a marketing professional, you work hard to recruit new customers. Now a new statistic shows much of your effort goes to waste. But with the right type of answer, you can improve the numbers.

FACT: Four times as many customers close a checking account due to poor customer service and CSR disputes than they do because they need the money.

That statement comes out of a recent nationwide consumer study conducted for the ACTON Account Attrition Monitor report researched and prepared by ACTON Market Intelligence.

What does it mean? Even in this tough economy with high unemployment and rising costs for everything, when you expect people need every penny, the majority of people who close their checking accounts don’t do it because they need the cash. They do it because they’re angry, fed up with the service, tired of putting up with mistakes, or they simply want to avoid certain offensive personality types.

It’s common knowledge that it’s more expensive to recruit a new customer than it is to retain one. So what do you, a marketing professional, do?

Obviously, it will take a team effort across departments in your company. Start by convincing your marketing colleagues, then together approach upper management. With executive backing, you’ll have more success than if you try to approach branch managers, for instance.

You situation will be different from other financial institutions, so these are just suggestions, but here are a few ideas that might help improve customer service — and counter that customer attrition statistic.

Look for “bad apples.” Check attrition rates by branch. Do some have much higher rates than the rest? Correct the problems at the specific branches.

Mystery shop. Look for bad practices, both by the staff and service problems caused by your corporate practices and systems.

Train. Teach your frontline staff good service practices and how to handle all types of customers. Instill the idea they’re important to the company, and especially important to their customers.

Boost morale. Often bad service comes from bad attitudes about the job. Do favors for employees that make them happy and show they’re appreciated. For example, let tellers put out holiday decorations at their windows. Not just at Christmas either. Give them candy hearts to hand out to customers around Valentine’s Day. Both your tellers and customers will end the transactions with smiles. An occasional casual day helps morale. Here in Nebraska, Fridays in the fall see as much red attire as football Saturdays. No one complains if the branch staff wears Husker red casual instead of more business-like apparel.

The attrition report I mentioned is available from ACTON Market Intelligence. You can find our more at amiresearch.com

Keeping customers longer is a cost-effective way of doing business, but it takes a company-wide commitment. As important as it is, your financial institution should be sure the issue isn’t ignored.