When a company surprises us with their customer service experience, what is the first thing that happens? We almost always tell someone what happened, whether in person or on social media for the world to see about the customer service experience.
Conversely, a bad customer service experience in generations past, most people did nothing or their circle of influence heard about it, but that was where it died. And at most, people quit using that company or service. However, now a negative post, review, or mention on social media can get worldwide attention in a matter of minutes. Once negative momentum starts, it is almost impossible to stop a wave of negative attention from a bad customer service experience.
Trust us when we tell you, that’s not something you want or need to happen to your business. Google Business, Yelp, Facebook, and most of the other well-known review sites have very strict policies for managing negative reviews (or even comments). You can be assured that unless you can prove it’s spam or that it was posted by someone who has a habit of posting negative comments about businesses they’ve never even visited, that post or review isn’t coming down.
Here are three tips for companies and (people) on how to improve your customer service experience which, in the short and long term, help your company succeed.
Customer Service Experience Tip 1: These Phones Are Made for Talkin' (to a Person)
We have all heard of the horror stories of overwhelmed companies when something goes bad, but I think most people, even in times of crises, want, prefer, and demand to talk to actual humans.
So, if you can, answer your phone. If you can’t, have a live person answer your phone. A staggering 90% of people prefer a live person when calling any company. Consider how many times you’ve called a business to ask a question or solve a problem only to find yourself frustrated by an AI or robotic experience that doesn’t even recognize you’d like to talk with a human. You know exactly what that customer experience feels like.
Relationships and good interactions sell more products and help position the company to have a human touch in dealing with a crisis and will give your company a leg up on the competition. Talking to a human sometimes can be just the right surprise and having someone who understands the problem is empathetic and can help get the problem resolved. That experience can change the entire narrative of the company.
Customer Service Experience Tip #2 - Your Website Must Be Simple to Use
User experience and user interface for your website are crucial. What websites have you visited to learn more about a product or service or even to get help? Then you got lost on the site trying to find what you wanted or needed. The general rule of thumb is that if it takes over three clicks for your clients or prospective clients to find what they need, your site is too complicated.
Statistics show that 94% of consumers will choose a product over the ease of a website. If necessary, send out surveys to your current clients to ask what they think of your website. You can also hire individuals or businesses known for performing “UX/UI” services (user experience and user interface) testing.
Customer Service Experience Tip #3 - Experience Matters
Sure, we all start somewhere. We all need training. We all start out as beginners. And we’ve all (sometimes willingly and sometimes not) worked with a new employee as a customer. When they admit to being new and needing help, most customers are very understanding. Yet, sometimes experience matters for your customers.
So, make sure that the people you have dealing with customers stick to the things they know. If they don’t know it, the employees must get someone who can assist. This should be completed immediately because 60% of consumers already question the integrity of salespeople. It’s imperative that you’re able to build trust with your clients. The right way to do this is by showcasing expertise. right away as consumers already question salespeople.
The Customer Service Experience Is Vital
Finally, if it needs to be said, the customer service experience is vital and if you don’t have a plan or if you find that your clients and prospective clients aren’t as responsive as you like, you need to have one or improve the plan that your business already has.
Tomorrow’s Opinions can help you craft a plan that has quantifiable benchmarks so that different divisions or branch locations can be held accountable by their customer service index score if it is declining over a period of time. Whether it be buying a car, getting a home equity loan, or buying your favorite morning coffee, brand loyalty is not what it used to be, so ignoring your customer service plan or worse, not having one, will only lead your company to fail.
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