A staggering 96 percent of customers would consider leaving your business if they receive bad customer service, according to new research by Forbes.

Good customer service, however, can boost customer retention and also profits.

Sometimes, delivering good customer service means eliminating the bad experiences that happen regularly. 

Awaken Intelligence research has identified the top frustration for customers.

 

Not being able to speak to a human

Not providing your customers with being able to speak to a real advisor is one of the worst things you can do. 

While self-service options and chatbots can enhance your customer service, they should not be the only available channels of communication. If customers have a complex squirt they may need to speak to a person. 

 

Long wait times

It is unsurprising that long waiting times is a big annoyance for customers. Sometimes this may be unavoidable. However, if your customers are consistently waiting a long time to get  in touch with you, that is bad service.

Research has shown that almost a fifth of customers will give up on calls altogether due to long waiting times. Therefore, it is vital to hire enough people to cope with your customers’ needs and demands.

 

Advisors taking too long to solve qualities or not being knowledgeable

Advisors taking a long time to resolve queries is the third biggest complaint of customers. This can be caused by a number of issues, from slow systems to united escalation options and poor employee knowledge.

A week or two of intensive training will set your people up for success.

 

Scripted or impersonal conversations

If an advisor is reading through a script, their interactions with customers will be stunted. Instead, advisers should be given prompts to stimulate conversation and obtain key information.  

 

Being transferred between multiple departments

Businesses, at the very least, should have ways of transmitting the information already provided by the customer between departments so they can get up to speed on the customer’s inquiry without making the customer responsible for explaining once again.

Having advisors who can deal with queries on a multitude of topics across all departments will also help resolve this issue. An outsourced contact centre can fill in the gaps in your people’s knowledge. These businesses will have highly trained experts who are experienced in delivering customer service across all departments. 

Customer service can make or break your business. Good experiences can increase customer loyalty and retention, while bad ones can drive customers away.

 

 

 

 

 

Amelia Brand
Amelia Brand

Amelia Brand is the Editor for HRreview, and host of the HR in Review podcast series. With a Master’s degree in Legal and Political Theory, her particular interests within HR include employment law, DE&I, and wellbeing within the workplace. Prior to working with HRreview, Amelia was Sub-Editor of a magazine, and Editor of the Environmental Justice Project at University College London, writing and overseeing articles into UCL’s weekly newsletter. Her previous academic work has focused on philosophy, politics and law, with a special focus on how artificial intelligence will feature in the future.