Good customer serviceis critical to maintaining your online reputation and increasing your bottom line.
However, there are many common misconceptions when trying to offer top-notch service. And if your company remains the same, customers will leave or pass up your organization without notice.
However, there are many common misconceptions when trying to offer top-notch service. And if your company remains the same, customers will leave or pass up your organization without notice.
If a Customer Is Dissatisfied, Offer a Discount
When it comes to angry or dissatisfied customers, you may think the quickest and best way to rectify the situation is by offering a discount. However, this can be the wrong way to handle it.
In reality, offering a price-based solution can harm the view of your brand. That’s because it can ultimately devalue your offerings and persuade customers to believe your products or services aren’t worth it at full price.
Another reason is it shows them you’re not truly interested in solving their problems. By offering a quick discount, you’re taking the easy way out.
The best way to resolve a situation is by getting down to the root of the problem. Ask questions, remain calm and professionaland assure them you want to take care of their issues immediately.
You Can’t Save the Customer Relationship After a Negative Experience
Even with a good strategy in place, it’s inevitable that you’ll have unhappy customers — enough to leave your businessand go somewhere else. In fact, 58% of customers will show little hesitationto cut a relationship if their expectations fall short.
However, most customers are willing to return if the brand is willing to solve their problems. Therefore, you can turn a negative experience into a positive one by implementing a good turnaround tactic.
That’s where you need a customer service recovery strategy in place. Having one will help you minimize a bad situation and continue to foster a good relationship.
Customer Loyalty Is Difficult to Track
If tracking customer loyalty is too hard for you, it’s unimportant to your business. This is one common misconception that many companies believe.
However, tracking customer loyalty is the key to retaining customers, helping you save on costsin the long run. Consider setting up a loyalty program to help you keep track.
There are plenty of options you can use to get started, including:
- Rewards points: Each time a customer makes a purchase, they receive points they can use for future purchases.
- Paid programs: Customers can pay a fee to become a VIP member and receive exclusive benefits.
- Paid programs: Customers can pay a fee to become a VIP member and receive exclusive benefits.
Customer loyalty programs are easy to understand and can provide you with tons of data about customer behavior. In turn, you can use this information to shape your customer service strategies.
If the Customer Doesn’t Complain, It Means They’re Happy
Typically, if a customer doesn’t complain, it doesn’t always mean satisfaction. Instead, they could behave this way because they’ve already found a better solution with another company. It can also indicate their loss of interest in your services.
To ensure your customers remain happy, consider gathering feedback from themdirectly by sending a survey. You can achieve this by using smartphone apps, email, social media, interviews, etc.
Feedback is essential to know what your customers want, and it can make the biggest impact on improving your services.
The Latest Technology Makes a Good Impression With Customers
Cloud storage and video meeting apps are what most companies use to make the job more efficient. It’s what many businesses invest in to stay on top of the market.
Yet, it’s easy to think that the more tools you have, your business becomes more successful. Not every innovation is the right fit for your business model and customers, though.
One thing you must ask yourself is if your technology is hindering the relationship with your customers. Consider what website features, mobile apps and systems you use. Do they interfere more than help your customers?
For instance, maybe you’re receiving more customer complaints because of certain technology. If this is the case with your business, it may be time to eliminate it from your organization.
Instead, it would be helpful to find a technology or stick to what you currently have to keep things simple.
Combat These Common Customer Service Misconceptions
Good customer service is vital to businesses of all sizes. Therefore, you shouldn’t buy into these misconceptions. That way, you don’t negatively affect your brand perception and how you approach your daily responsibilities.
After all, customer support agents are the face of your brand to customers. Therefore, responding to each customer without a preconceived notion of managing a situation is crucial to success.