A commitment to providing excellent customer experiences is one of the golden rules of running a successful business. Companies that are guilty of bad customer service traits frequently face negative consequences, and if these difficulties are not overcome, poor customer experiences can actually become the undoing of a business of any size.
That being said, there are ways to correct customer service habits without causing further damage to your brand. So, let us discover some common mistakes that could be impairing your customer experiences and discuss some potential solutions to these customer service pitfalls.
Not Listening to Feedback
Although in recent years more companies have started to solicit feedback from their customers, in terms of actually using and processing this feedback some businesses seem to lack the motivation to act. When used correctly, customer feedback can be a powerful driver of innovation. Customer feedback can help you to find your advocates and promoters. Nowadays, people are paying much less attention to company-produced advertising and are instead diverting their focus towards what existing customers have to say about the products and services offered by a company. Customer data allows you to listen to their wants and needs so that you can adjust and improve your current output and add prolonged value to the lives of your customers.
There is a good chance you could be missing out on revenue and opportunities by ignoring feedback from your customers and therefore it is essential that you take time to get to know who they are. In order to build the best possible profile of your customers try to gather information from multiple channels. You can make use of the plenty of helpful resources and tools that are out there to accurately collect, assess, and act on customer data. Quantitative and qualitative data can be accumulated from social media, marketing campaigns, and analytics so be sure to research what your customers are saying if you want to gain valuable insights capable of sparking change. You could even invite your customers to share their opinions by creating an online survey for them to fill out when they visit your website. By using the software from Reputation.com, businesses could collect some feedback to see what their customers think of the current business operations.
Neglecting Staff Training
Poor customer service has negative repercussions for all areas of your business. Not only do you run the risk of losing your customers, but there is a chance that your best employees might also walk out. When customer service problems arise, your more senior employees are often left to pick up the pieces. Over time, this can lead to burnout and dissatisfaction across your team. Moreover, if your company starts to develop a bad reputation, your most valued employees might be tempted to seek work elsewhere.
If you have noticed that your employees seem to be dealing with more customer complaints than normal, then not all hope is lost. Cultivating a customer centric company culture leads to excellent customer service and therefore it is your responsibility to train your employees in customer service expectations. If employees are trained correctly, then quick, friendly, and professional customer service becomes the standard and this can increase productivity and enhance other levels of your business. Ideally, staff training should be provided regularly and on a departmental or team basis so that employees that excel can set an example to others and even be rewarded for their actions. For instance, if you run a hotel business, you might need to give efficient training to the janitorial staff for providing the guests clean premises and great ambience. If the staff aren’t adequately trained or if there is a shortage of staff, then you can hire professional Hospitality Support services. This can ensure that the guests are provided with uninterrupted services, leading to enhanced customer experience and brand reputation.
Forgetting About Your Existing Customers
Did you know that it is generally more expensive to recruit new customers than to maintain relationships with your existing ones? When dealing with large numbers of prospective customers on a regular basis it can be all too easy to forget about the people that already buy your products and services. Every single one of your customers has a lifetime value and therefore it is imperative that you spend time maintaining positive relations with them. Determining the total amount of money that a customer is expected to spend with your business during their lifetime can be hugely advantageous, but this can only be accurate if it is monitored in real time.
Quite often customers are willing to pay more for a product or service if they are sure that they will receive a brilliant customer experience and that your business is capable of resolving any possible complaints. Consequently, whereas poor customer service experiences can have a detrimental impact on your average customer lifetime value, good customer service can actually boost your existing customer relationships. Above all, by focusing on customer retention and providing consistent standards of customer service, your company is much more likely to foster loyalty, and this can have a positive impact on your brand reputation.
Ultimately, the best way to remedy bad customer experiences is to prevent them from happening in the first place. Nonetheless, by addressing customer service problems early on, you can correct and address any issues before they start to spiral out of control. To ensure your business remains successful, stay in touch with your customers, monitor their behaviour, and do your best to cultivate a customer centric company culture.
Knowing how to provide excellent customer experiences is something that every entrepreneur must learn. For even more business tips check out these 4 pieces of advice for entrepreneurs.
