At times, it can seem that business owners live in complicated times. In reality, however, amid the challenge of competing for customers with digital marketing, the most basic definition of business success still rules: customer service and customer experience. While many companies talk about strategic plans and their latest branding techniques, few things are more important than being known for excellent customer service and customer experience.
How many times have you walked away from an instore purchase or experience frustrated with the customer service and customer experience? How many times have you struggled to make your way through long waits during phone calls to get the answers to your questions, and solutions to your problems? If you are like most consumers, you have been frustrated, and possibly angered, over the service that you have received whether you are shopping at a brick or mortar store or online.
Satisfaction, Service, and Strategy Lead the List of Goals for the Most Successful Companies
The customer service of the past often seems leaps and bounds above what the average shopper experiences today. In fact, unless you are staying at the five star hotels, renting luxury cars from premier rental agencies, or shopping at high end clothing stores, you have likely been a victim of poor customer service. And while many companies have spent thousands of dollars rebranding their products and upgrading their digital marketing techniques, it should come as absolutely no surprise that it is even more important to work on training employees to offer the best customer service and customer experience.
Consider some of the statistics about the correlation between strong customer service and success in today’s business world:
- This may seem like an old fashioned phrase, but if you ask the many frustrated customers in today’s economy, they will likely tell you that getting back to a customer centered shopping experience should be the goal.
- How often do you walk away from a shopping experience feeling great about the process?
- Estimates indicate that it takes 12 positive experiences to make up for one a single unresolved negative experience.
- Customer care is the top priority for companies that are successful in today’s economy.
- Until a company understands the importance of training their employees how to provide excellent customer care, they will not reach the level of success that
- Statistics show that 48% of consumers say the most critical time to gain their loyalty is when they make their first purchase or begin service.
- To make sure that every customer has a positive first experience, it is important that employers offer customer service training.
- One bad experience can have huge implications. The initial problem is the unsatisfied customer not returning, the continuing problem is the when that unhappy customer shares the negative experience with friends and family members.
- More often than not, a bad customer service experience becomes fodder for a social media frenzy among friends and family.
- Estimates are that 24% of American adults have posted reviews or comments online about the services or products they buy.
- Really strong businesses understand the importance of respectfully dealing with frustrated customers.
- It is six to seven times more expensive and time consuming to acquire a new customer than it is to keep a current one.
- Sales representatives are often the first exchange any customer has with a retail store.
- A typical business only hears from 4% of its dissatisfied customers, but this does not mean that others are not hearing the complaints.
- Losing even a single customer can be a problem to small businesses. What are you doing to train your employees to deliver positive customer experiences?
- When a customer walks into a brick and mortar business it is important that they are quickly and politely greeted
- Any shopping experience can be positive or negative. Even a customer who does not make a purchase deserves to be treated respectfully.
- You can make the decision today to make customer satisfaction a priority.
- Survey results indicate that customer loyalty can be worth 10 times as much as one single purchase.
- Risking losing a customer is never in a company’s best interest.
- In a second, you can improve a customer’s opinion of your company.
- Going out of your way to serve a customer can provide benefits.
- How do customers rate your customer service?
- Typical shopping experiences have the potential to make or break a company.
