If familiarity breeds contempt, then there is nothing more detrimental to a business than to become contemptible in the eyes of its customers. Yet many businesses keep the same customer service practices year after year, which might even result in their losing their returning customers because of sheer boredom.
Customer service, not one of the more glamorous aspects of a business, is one of the most critical. Often, the difference between a potential customer and a lost customer is the perception of the existing customers of a company’s customer service.
It is often the little things that make the difference. There is a distinction between familiarity and routine. Customers expect a routine when going through an automated phone menu because they do not want to have to relearn the new menu options every time a company thinks it is a good idea to change its image. In many instances, pressing “0” or saying “customer service” is the way to not even pay attention to the new menu system. Phone menus are there to make getting a customer’s problem solved quicker and in less time than by being put on hold.
The critical end of customer service is at the other end of the phone – the customer service representative. Here is where any refreshing of customer service needs to be done, and it will be in a place that customer’s will take notice. Think of customer service as the waitress who gets your order at a restaurant. Your concern is not the uniform she is wearing or whether her voice is soprano or alto. The basis of the service is judged by how accurately your order is taken, the information given, and the speed of service. With customer service, the order is the problem, and the speed and accuracy with which the problem is resolved – this is what determines the quality of the service.
Surveys are one recent feature of customer service, online or on a phone line, that actually detract from the customer service experience. Whoever told companies it was a good idea needs to re-examine what a good idea is actually about. When online, customers want to get their question answered quickly and directly, and not have to wade through a menu full of options to find it. On the phone, people prefer to speak to a real person because either they are unable to understand the text of the help messages or they have a question or problem that does not fit neatly into the predetermined answers given by the online help.
One type of survey that refreshes the customer service experience and adds goodwill to the company is when at the end of a phone call the customer service rep asks if they have answered all of the customer’s questions, if they need help on an additional subject, and if they were happy with the service they received. These few minutes make the customer feel like they are appreciated and an effort is being made on behalf of the company to make sure their voice is heard and their concerns addressed.
In the grand scheme of customer service, it is certain a company will not be able to make all of their customers happy all of the time. Part of that may be due to the need for a greater focus on training the representatives. Another part of it may be that not enough emphasis is being placed on customer service company-wide. But perhaps the biggest part may lie in the customers themselves, who make unreasonable demands from companies and the customer service representatives.
The balance a company needs to strive for is to provide the best customer service with the most qualified people by creating a system and policies that recognize the value of each person in the chain.
