Of all of the factors and foundations that effect the potential success of any small business, customer service may just be the most critical. Many businesses fail to even monitor and adjust their customer service and it could be damaging their bottom lines. So, what exactly encompasses a great customer service experience? In some recently released research from Microsoft, it can pretty much be determined what is not great customer service. The following comes directly from that published report:
- Regardless of industry, service organisations are a customer engagement focal point for brands around the world. Our report reveals that 96% of respondents say customer service is important in their choice of loyalty
to a brand. - 54% of respondents say they have higher expectations for customer service today than they had one year ago.
This number jumps to 66% for the 18–34-year-olds surveyed. . A whopping 72% of respondents expect agents to already know who they are, what they’ve purchased and have insight into their previous engagements. - Customer service organisations have the power to drive positive brand sentiment in several ways. For example, 77% of customers have a more favourable view of brands that ask for and accept customer feedback. And 68% of customers have a more favourable view of brands that offer or contact them with proactive customer service notifications.
- 96% of our respondents say customer service plays a role in their choice of and loyalty to a brand. This number is simply too high to ignore – and there’s a major pay-off for brands that seize the opportunity. There is a direct correlation between superior customer service and brand loyalty, which means your customer service organisation can be a key stakeholder of your customer acquisition and retention strategy.
- 56% of global respondents have stopped doing business with a brand due to a poor customer service experience, and 47% of those respondents say they made that choice within the past 12 months.
- Frustration spikes when customers are unable to reach a live person for support. In fact, 30% of respondents find it to be the most frustrating aspect of a poor customer service experience. And 30% of those polled say the most important aspect of a good customer service experience is speaking with a knowledgeable and friendly agent.
- The bottom line is this: customers want their experience to feel effortless, regardless of whether it’s through self-service or with the help of an agent. Unfortunately, that’s not the case when looking at the 80% of respondents who believe it takes some or even too much effort to resolve their customer service issues.
-Written by Kevin Sawyer
