Customer service is important for several reasons. Firstly, it gives customers an outlet to express their frustration about a service offering without having to unsubscribe from it. Thus, it helps companies with customer retention. Secondly, it helps businesses get honest feedback. There is no person more honest than a customer on a customer care phone call. Thirdly, it allows for a boost in sales as a top-notch job at serving a customer is enough to impress them and make them recommend the service offering to their family and friends. In fact, AT&T states that the number of subscribers to its AT&T Internet packages has risen largely because it invests a lot in its customer service department.
For all the above reasons, it is important for business owners to know exactly what to implement and what not to encourage in their customer service team. There have undoubtedly been many articles written on what to do in customer service but there has not been a lot of content on what not to do in the field. This is why, in this article, there will be more things than not written on what not to do in customer service. Recognizing this vacuum, we have decided to fill it up by enlisting and describing some of the practices that are big no-no’s in the world of consumer care.
Ignoring Service Requests
Okay, this one is a big no-no for an obvious reason. Imagine you order some shoes online but get the wrong size delivered to your doorstep. You email the consumer care department of the shoe brand to let them know of their mistake. However, you do not even get a response back. Is there anything more frustrating than that? Probably not. This makes it crucial for every customer care team to regard every service request they receive. Yet, according to the Customer Service Benchmark Report, as many as 62% (almost two-thirds) of these teams are culprits of not acknowledging service requests. In case your brand is part of this majority, ensure that things do not continue this way at your company!
Leaving Problems Unresolved
For everyone facing a problem, it is required for them to be able to get some sort of solution within a reasonable amount of time. After all, this is precisely why they are calling the customer care department! And when those solutions are not provided, it becomes a problem not only for the customer but also for the company as they are at risk of losing a subscriber. Just like a lot of companies disregard customer complaints altogether, many businesses fail to cater to problems fully as well.
Long Call Wait Times
Have you ever been on a customer service call and had to wait for long periods for a representative to respond? If so, you must remember just how annoying it was. You are frustrated because not only you have to wait but also because you were already facing a problem that made you pick up the phone. This is something very important for all businesses to acknowledge waiting ten minutes may not be as frustrating in normal circumstances but waiting for that amount of time when you are already annoyed at your service provider seems like a wait of one century! Consequently, you must ensure that you are not making your customers wait for long periods.
Dearth of Mannerisms
Do you know what the easiest way to make someone angry is? Getting angry yourself. In terms of customer service, it can be concluded that negative energy from the representative’s side is only going to be received negatively by the consumer. As a result, the representatives must remain calm in every situation. However, do not be afraid to draw the line at profanity and other very rude behavior. As soon as the customer becomes unbearable, the representative should escalate the issue to their supervisor.
Wrapping Up
We will be the last people to say that the aforementioned list is exhaustive. However, we do believe that the practices most important to avoid are included in this article. With the hope that this article will help you improve your company’s customer service operations, we bid you farewell.