As much as it’s important to provide a valuable product or service at a fair price, those aren’t the only factors driving customer loyalty. Of course, the customer service experience also plays a huge role in whether or not your customers will remain loyal to your company.
And when it comes to the customer experiences, there are a few things you must do as a baseline if you want to keep your customers happy: Be available, be helpful, be reasonable! Easy enough on the surface, right?
Naturally, other factors come into play as you build a customer service organization that works well for both you and your customers. Locations, languages, and hours of operation are just a few. On a less complicated scale, though; there are a few things customers HATE universally. These factors should avoided at all costs as they will immediately have a direct, negative impact on customer loyalty.
Customer Service Pitfalls
The Lazy Perception: Some problems are more complicated than others, and therefore take more time; however, your customers want to know you’re taking their problems seriously and putting forth a good faith effort to make it right. Otherwise, you just look lazy.
Pinky Promise: Service levels exist for a reason, and what is a service level but a promise you make on behalf of your business. They set an expectation for your customers, and give you a timeframe to manage to. Break these promises your own peril.
The Perp Walk: When customers feel as though they’re being treated rudely, or as though they’re trying to get away with something, it naturally makes them irritable. Treat them with respect. Even the jerks.
Update Your Status: How do you communicate with your customers while an issue is in process? Maintain open lines of communication. If a customer must repeatedly contact you to get updates, you’re making them angry.Ground Hog Day: When a customer is repeatedly transferred, they get irritable. When they must repeat the problem for each new person, they get pissed off. Don’t do this to your customers.
Value Meal Methodology: There’s nothing wrong with trying to improve the customer’s product or service experience through up-sell and cross-sell; however, make sure you’ve fixed their problem first. No one wants to upgrade a product that isn’t working.
Avoid these pitfalls and you’re on your way to much less irritable, if not downright happy customer. Ignores these tips and you’ll find yourself in a…well, you’ll find yourself in a hole.