Consumers rate customer service as the most important factor when deciding to do business with a company. This means that the traditional competitive advantages such as price, location and product are gradually disappearing.
In the global era of technology, customer service is now kin. When it comes to customer service, we all have a bad experience one way or the other. It is said that news of bad customer service reaches more than twice as many ears as praise for a good customer service.
Avoid creating a bad customer service experience!
It is important to understand and avoid behaviors that makes customers angry. Some of such behaviors are:
- Customers expressing frustration when they are unable to reach a company when needed.
- When a customer turns to know more about a product than the agent assisting them.
- Some customer are put off due to poor website design and online availability.
Consequences of getting customer service wrong!
This can be very damaging to the company. Most customers turn to stop doing business with companies because of bad customer service. No body wants to work for a failing business and there might not be any business at all if the trend continues. Poor customer service is a factor in 8 out of 10 business that goes bust.
Do Complaints Matter?
In today’s connective world, customers do not just get mad but ‘They Get Even’.
In recent times a study in UK showed that 38 million consumers made a complaint in a year. This amount to a complaint every 1.2 seconds. It is important to be aware of the increasing influence of social media and the internet on customer service.
Social media has become a ‘Megaphone’ for the consumer to voice out their complaints to an increasingly connected population. Customers turn to social media to take revenge on a company online and social media is the channel for this.
The true value of a good customer service!
Avoiding customer complaints is only one of the many reasons why you need to get customer service right. There are lots of benefits for you and the company you work for. No body enjoys working for an organization that feels like a sinking ship, if the customer is happy you will also be happy. Good customer service feels positive publicity in the media allowing you to be proud of what you do. Most importantly, happy customers become loyal customers and these loyal customers are valuable to your company’s growth. Loyal customers are willing to spend more and refuse to switch service and more likely to spread the love and recommend your services to others.
What customers value the most!
How do you create these magical loyal customers?
Policies, systems, technology? No! It is very simple. A recent survey showed that loyal customers can be created through:
- Friendly employees or customer service representatives
- The ability to easily find information or help the customer needs
- Personalized experiences and
- Brand with a good reputation
Always remember that ‘A Good Customer Service’ makes consumers feel good.
