More often than not, when you’ve attracted a potential new client, they’ve either already done their research or they will. Either way, what previous and current clients have to say matters. The one thing they will remember above all else is the customer service. If there is one thing I’ve learned, customer service is not secondary to your product. In fact, without your customers, there is no product.
A Personal Touch Does Matter
The increasingly mobile world includes mobile purchases and mobile usage of your products or services. While it’s great to have a product that stays atop the new trends and needs of customers, that is not all a company needs to attain optimal customer satisfaction. Customer service should never wane in the light of new technology, but it can help. A 2013 study by Lithium Technologies found that when brands respond to communication via Twitter in a timely manner, they are not only 34% more likely to buy from that company but are also 43% more likely to recommend the products to their friends and family.
Automation, while helpful for organizations, isn’t favorable in the eyes of your customers. By 2017, one-third of customer service happenings will require human intervention. A personal touch goes beyond human-to-human interaction and should consider the person on the other end. You can do this by keeping notes on the customer’s preferences to give them that special feeling they are the only customer you have.
There’s A Real ROI
With more than 80% of retailers planning to increase customer service spend in 2015, there’s no doubt a correlation between the bottom line and customer loyalty and service exists. In fact, it’s estimated that it’s 6 to 7 times more expensive to acquire a new customer than to keep a current one.
Competition is in every market and with every product. The truth is, your customer does not generally have only one option. The hope and goal of every company and its client service should be to use the best option. Consider who your users are because what they want should be your top goal. Remember some of the top brands and how they work, because while customers want friendly service, they have other values as well. Packaging, special offers, birthday coupons and many other small gestures can leave customers feeling special.
No Customer Service Is Expensive
Like your employees, retaining a client is less costly than attracting new ones. Great client service deserves rewards, but one small misstep can lead to a quick and foul turnaround. One poor experience is enough to have 65% of consumers bail on an intended transaction. Not to mention those customers who can quickly change their mind on your company all together. In 2013, 62% of global consumers found different service providers due to poor customer service experiences. This is a 4% increase from the previous year. Customer service is costing many brands in the US approximately $41 billion year.
“Your team needs to embrace the idea of Whole Company Support, where everyone has the customer’s best interests in mind, not just your forward facing employees who deal with them every day.” – Gregory Ciotti, Help Scout
Ciotti has it right. Customer service is a habit for every employee in every position. When designing your customer service model and process, consider each problem that could be experienced, then develop a solution. A poor experience is enough to deter an interest in your product no matter how technologically innovative it is or how perfectly it fits the customer’s needs.
With technology rapidly changing, clients, customers and candidates need a level of service even higher than before. Poor experiences can be spread farther and faster than ever due to social and online reviews. Stand out from the pack with service that goes above and beyond.
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