How to: Lose a Loyal Customer / Brand Advocate (Part 1)

Now, this is not an easy blog to write and I aim to do it with dignity and grace, but I've just been through a horrible break-up as a customer and it still hurts.I loved them, truly, and not only "would've done anything", but I believe, as best I could, I "did" everything I could to help them with no expectation except goodwill. But as with many relationships, it is only through hindsight that you realise you are the only one valuing what there is.And, tell me off, because we broke up mid-year! But they begged me to come back and promised things would be different... And you know the story, we go back to an "ex" even though we have started with someone lovely and new... But I wanted to believe in "us" and my brand advocacy that I trusted it would be better.So here I am now, hurt for a second time, wanting to reflect and take something positive away from this experience - my "lesson" from being a loyal customer.As indicated by my title, I wanted to write a Blog about "how to lose a loyal client" (read Part 2), but it's too raw right now. And when you have written words telling me:   "...doesn't give you any special right to just do what you want at the expense of our business" and "to walk away without even a thank you shows a weak character", my thinking is just to want defend myself - human conditioning, for me at least.So I will come back and teach you my marketing tips on how to lose loyal customers soon.Do i know my lesson? Yes! Value is subjective and friendship and business do not often work. No matter what I say to these business owners, they will never value my contribution and goodwill in monetary terms. I have learnt the hard way to never devalue my service and contra-deal without clear boundaries that reflect my real world worth of services rendered.A good lesson learnt, really, if JoElla Marketing is to be a success.The school of hard knocks is fine, but hard when it gets personal. But I'm a tough cookie who's been through much bigger issues than this over my 41 years. So I have dusted myself off and head back to the business who does want and value my clientele, even if there are a few battle scars to heal.Read Part 2: How to Lose a Loyal Customer / Brand Advocate