And they won't know why

For a few years, I was a photographer. Like....for payment. The thing I noticed about photos is what people didn't notice about them. When photos were truly terrible, people didn't exactly know why they were bad. A photo is comprised of three elements: exposure, lighting, and expression. My specialty was headshots and so many bad headshots exist out there. (Not mine, duh!) When one of these elements is off, the layperson is not an expert and does not know why. And because people don't why it's bad, they accept an inferior product.

They will dislike the product or leave the service quietly. But they won't know why. They won't know why the atmosphere of the restaurant is not inviting; the guests will quietly become strangers and drift off to another dining experience. That song will not resonate, but in an invisible way--people will play it once, then move along to other songs that "hit" or "slap." The graphic design won't land correctly. The menu item won't be as well received as you imagined. But they won't know why.

(For you quantitative types out there, this is going to drive you crazy. But it's real. The limitations of quantifying an experience are sometimes constrained. Some things are not measurable.)

Ask questions. Be humble enough to see their perspective.

Can you ask enough questions to get to the root of their experience?

Can you be the very best you can be?

Can you leave behind the excuses? ("Well, people are just mean." Or, "People just don't understand my artistic vision." Or, "People just aren't ready for this kind of forward-thinking pizza!")

Can you embrace honesty about your product?

Can you stay humble about what it is your client is saying?

Can you remove all the objections that they don't even know they have?

Make it the very best you can. Avoid the excuses and remain open to feedback. And if not, they will leave, and they won't know why.