Whether you’re a new business starting out, or a company with years of history, here are five statistics about customer service you should consider when creating your company’s strategy for the new year.
Over the past decade, customers have begun to recognize competing on price is a race to the bottom. Anyone can go online and find a great deal, but the experience is impersonal and often fraught with customer service issues. Studies have shown customers are willing to pay more to ensure a great brand experience, making customer service the new name of the game.
In the age of the customer, service and support representatives are the face of your company. Hire employees who innately enjoy helping others and possess a desire to go above and beyond. Empower them to do what’s best for the customer and you’ll find you create not only happier customers, but happy employees.
To make matters worse, those 4% are more likely to post feedback in the form of a negative Yelp review instead of speaking directly to you. Companies have a limited window in which to resolve a customer complaint, but only if they know about it. Proactively reach out for customer feedback whenever possible and ensure your customers know how they can escalate issues. Giving them options, even before there’s a problem, will catch more unhappy customers before they move onto a competitor.
Great companies build relationships with their customers. This means periodically checking in to see how they’re doing, passing along resources to help them make the most of their purchase, as well as inviting them to join a community. Loyal customers are worth 10 times the value of their original purchase, so make sure they know how much you appreciate their business.
With all the focus on optimizing your website and social media channels, the phone is often forgotten as a key customer communication channel. Yet, the majority of customers still prefer to speak with a real person before purchasing. Auto-attendants or being sent straight to voicemail may leave a caller frustrated and ready to move onto the next name on the list. Consider investing in a virtual receptionist service, like Ruby, to ensure every call is answered live in a friendly and professional manner.
What does all this mean for small business?
Consumer views on customer service interactions may have changed, but their collective perception of small business has not. 80% of Americans believe small businesses place a greater emphasis on customer service, so use this to your advantage:
- Reiterate your commitment to customer service in your company values, as well as across all your customer communication channels.
- Invest in tools that specialize in delivering stellar service.
- Make sure all employees are trained in customer service best practices, not just the support staff.
- Connect your customer service metrics to business goals, so all employees can see the real impact great customer service has on your bottom line.
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