When have you made an error that resulted in an account leaving your company?

"When I was only about a year or two into my first account management job, I learned a valuable lesson about making sure to keep tabs on and be communicative with all clients, no matter their account size. I had inherited over 80 accounts and had prioritized them by size and opportunity potential. Some of the company's clients had been with us for years but were small accounts. Things got busy and I overlooked following up with one of those accounts. Several months went by and suddenly they canceled their service with us. I quickly realized that if I had kept in touch with the client, most likely they would have stayed with us; they felt neglected and consequently left. Fortunately, I was able to quickly re-open the lines of communication and win them back, albeit at a discounted rate for the next quarter. Going forward, I changed how I tracked clients and my communications with them to ensure that no client ever fell through the cracks again."

"Early in my career, I was very green but also self-assured. I was humbled when I was given a new client and did not set proper expectations. While eager to guarantee great results to the client, I oversold expectations and ultimately failed to deliver. This resulted in an upset client and a very humbling experience for me. I learned quickly that it is always better to undersell and overdeliver than the opposite. I rectified the situation with the client and still have said client 'x' years later."