In 2010, customer service makes a big comeback. It becomes the new marketing. Forget about paying lip service to offering “great customer service”. Let go all of those “the customer is always right” myths. It’s time to offer outstanding customer service only because it makes economic sense for your business. It is the only truly sustainable competitive advantage.
Good customer service is the lifeblood of any business. You can offer promotions and slash prices to bring in as many new customers as you want, but unless you can get some of those customers to come back, your business won’t be profitable for long.
Customer service and satisfaction studies have shown that 43% percent of respondents abandoned a provider to which they declared themselves loyal because of a negative experience, and 30 % of respondents reported that having the feeling they are not treated as valued customers being the main reason for taking their business elsewhere.
So how can you provide customer Service that shines? The phone is still often the first point of contact with your customers, so it's critical that you give callers a good first impression of your business.
Tighter relationship with customers should remain a priority as the economy remains poor. Companies can’t afford to lose profitable current customers. So when studies show that 70% of all business calls are placed on hold, and that 50% of them will hang-up when waiting in silence, of which 34% will never call back and call your competitor, you need to try harder to attract, satisfy and keep customers. On hold messages has proven to keep callers waiting on the line longer and reduce caller hang-ups (caller abandonment) by 50%. Plus in survey after survey, 88% of callers prefer music on hold and messages vs silence or radio. On Hold messages makes callers feel as if their wait time is less, makes them feel appreciated and also provides a great impression. So it’s time to listen to what your customers want and give it to them, because if you’re not, your competition will.
Tools like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube allow customers and prospects to tell not seven people but thousands of people about their pleasure or dissatisfaction with a company immediately after they interact with them. No more secrets here! Every satisfied customer is now a booster for your company and every dissatisfied customer potentially can hurt your business. Now, there is more of an incentive for every company to get it right for their customer. This year, no bad deed will go unpublished by a dissatisfied customer.
Most businesses from large retailers to local doctor's offices — now require customers to go through layers of technology-based service alternatives before getting to a human being. Although this makes perfect sense from a financial point of view, it's also created an unintended consequence: Customer service has gotten more complicated and impersonal. Music On Hold & Messages is still your best advocate to ensure your callers experience with your company is pleasant, enjoyable and personal. Without it, customers won't have the loyalty to stay with you through tough times, which carries an even greater cost.