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Are You Losing Customers With Bad Service, and How Can You Fix It?
Are You Losing Customers With Bad Service, and How Can You Fix It?

October 10, 2024

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Recently, I visited a supermarket to buy my monthly groceries. I wanted to purchase matchsticks, and I couldn't find where it was. So, I asked one of the people working in the stores where I could find matchsticks.

She pointed in one direction and walked away. In that direction, there were about 15 rows of racks. It wasn't helpful at all.

I looked around and got hold of another staff member. She mentioned that it would be in one of the last two racks, and she walked away.

While this was better than the previous response, I still had to browse through those two racks to get my matchsticks.

This is a classic example of bad customer service. While I was standing in the billing queue, I mentioned this experience to the floor supervisor. He listened to me intensely and noted that this keeps happening, and he doesn't know how to fix it.

This elevated the scale of bad in bad customer service.

While this was an offline experience I had, here are some examples of bad service that happen all too often:

How Often Have Your Concerns Been Ignored?

You call customer support to check on your delayed order, and you ask for help tracking it. The representative asks you to check the website for updated shipping details.

How annoying would it be?

The representative dismisses the customer's concerns without even customarily checking the details. This is indifferent and lazy.

When Was the Last Time Your Call Was Put On Hold?

You call tech support and speak to a level 1 agent. He puts you on hold, stating that he is transferring your call to an expert. You are on hold for 30 minutes, and no one tells you what's going on.

Sounds familiar, right?

When the expert picks up, he has no clue why you are calling, and he asks you to repeat your problem.

This is an extremely frustrating experience for any customer.

How Often Have You Had to Deal with a Rude Agent?

You have trouble logging into your account, and you call tech support to seek help in resetting your password.

The representative, in a condescending tone, checks with you to see if you are using the right email, and he further states that most people forget the basics.

It cannot get more unprofessional than this.

That’s Your Problem Attitude

Your Internet isn't working, and your provider has promised to fix it by 4 pm today. It is 6 pm now, and nothing has happened.

When you call customer support to check on this, the representative responds by stating that the technician did not come and that you'll have to wait till next week.

How would this interaction go with you?

Firstly, the organization did not follow through on the delivery committed, and then you had to deal with the lack of empathy from the representative.

How Often Have You Had to Deal with Canned Responses?

You sent a detailed email about your inability to use a particular feature in the product you purchased recently.

So, you seek help from their tech support with the issue. What do you get back as a response?

"Thank you for your message. Please visit our FAQ section for help."

The company did not even bother to read your query and gave you an automated response.

Why Is Bad Customer Service Such a Big Deal?

Here are some statistics that will help you understand why customer service is such a big deal: 

  • 58% of consumers will never use a company again after a single bad customer service experience – NewVoiceMedia
  • 95% of customers who have had a bad experience tell others about it, and 13% of those tell 15 or more people – American Express
  • Acquiring a new customer is 5 to 25 times more expensive than retaining an existing one – Harvard Business Review
  • 67% of customers will stay loyal to a brand after good customer service, while 59% will abandon a brand after a few bad experiences even if they love the product – Microsoft
  • A typical company loses 20% to 30% of its revenue each year from poor customer relationships – Accenture
  • Employees in organizations with poor customer service experience two times more stress, leading to higher turnover – Gallup
  • 68% of customers say they are willing to pay more for products and services from a company known to offer good customer service – Hubspot

What Are Some Actionable and Simple Steps to Deliver a Positive Customer Experience?

Active Listening

Encourage your team to listen to customers and actively confirm your understanding.

Here is an example:

"So, you're saying you haven't received your order yet, correct? Let's look into that."

This makes the customer feel heard and understood.

Manage Expectations

Here is an example:

"I understand you're waiting for an update. I'll need about 10 minutes to check on this. Would you like me to call you back, or would you prefer to hold?"

This makes the customers understand that they're not left in the dark.

Look at Omnichannel

Omnichannel is key to empowering your representatives to act on customers' requests easily.

Let us assume you call customer support of a brand, and you are transferred to an expert.

Would you feel happy when the expert starts with, "I'm sorry to keep you waiting. I have clearly understood your issues from the interactions you had with our representative, and I will help you resolve them."

Omnichannel will allow representatives to have a single view of their customer interactions across all channels.

Use Speech Analytics

Only 2% of the recorded calls are listened to by supervisors and managers, while the remaining 98% remain on the storage servers.

With speech analytics, you will be able to understand the spoken words as well as the ones between the lines. Besides, you can catch any misselling, compliance, and privacy issues as a part of the conversations.

With this input, you will be able to train your agents better and ensure that your customers are provided the best possible experiences.

Use Empathy in All Interactions

Look at these examples:

"I understand how frustrating it is not to have your Internet working. Let's figure this out together, and I'll do my best to expedite the fix."

This level of empathy builds trust and makes the customer feel valued.

Personalize Your Communication

Look at this example:

"Hi Vivek, I see you're having trouble with your login. Let's go through the steps together to reset your password."

Imagine how this can transform an ordinary interaction into a positive one.

Follow Through on Promises

How about proactive communication like this?

"I promised we'd fix the issue by today, but we've hit a delay. However, the technician will definitely be there tomorrow at 10 am. I'll personally follow up to make sure."

This will keep customer frustrations at bay.

Seek Feedback to Improve

You should regularly collect feedback from customers and act on it. Make adjustments based on your customer feedback.

How about something like this?

"We've received feedback that our hold times are too long. Starting next month, we're increasing our customer service team to reduce wait times."

This is a great way to show your customers that you are acting on their feedback and are improving your service to provide them with great experiences.

Make Self-Service Easy and Accessible

If you provide an FAQ or self-service options, ensure they are easy to find and are genuinely helpful. You should also have an option for them to contact a human from the self-service platforms seamlessly.

"If you can't find the answer in our FAQ, feel free to contact us directly via chat or phone for immediate assistance."

You meet everyone's needs when you balance self-service with human touch.

Customer service is the new product in today's marketplace, and it is the biggest differentiator that helps separate the wheat from the chaff.

Customer service is the face of your business, and bad service is like asking for directions only to be met with a blank stare. So, delivering top-notch support isn't just nice to have – it's essential.

So, the next time you're dealing with a customer, be the helping hand they remember, not the automated message they dread!


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