It's a feeling that nobody is a stranger to; you pick up the phone, dial the number of a business you need to contact, have to go through a maze of various automated system prompts and after being put on hold for God knows how long, you are only routed to a voice mail message so cheery it makes you want to rip the phone off its cord. Undoubtedly, when they first became "the way to do business" it was extremely annoying; however, times are changing, folks are automating and imprudent business practices such as this are gaining acceptance (or at least tolerance).
There isn't a doubt that 'your daddy's customer service' will still be much appreciated even in the most chaotic of times, thus providing customer satisfaction -- that would encompass answering the phone immediately if possible, not putting the customer on hold and instead coming up with correct answers on the fly and personalizing service with a cherry on top. But with automation prevailing in today's society, we have to recognize how important it is to respond to customers with alacrity and accuracy, especially if said individual has previously been put on hold for an inordinate amount of time, listening to the same old-same old recording and having had to go through the rigmarole of pushing this button and that button, only to end up leaving another gosh darned message instead of speaking to a live person with real feelings.
It is not always required, though, that a company replies immediately to a customer query, may it by phone, via email or in person; a timely response is all that would be required. Responsiveness is a primary component of customer satisfaction.
What, pray tell, is a "timely response", in that case?
You have to consider the customer perspective when defining a "timely response." There are several ingredients that can be thrown in the stew of customer-defined timeliness, and these may include the customer's personal expectations or how urgently they need their queries answered.
Another deplorable aspect of customer service nowadays is the misconception that twenty-four hours to respond to a customer inquiry will do. Again, we are traditionalists who believe that if we were to take the customer's vantage point, having to wait a good twenty-four hours either for a simple answer to a very basic question or the smartest and most viable solution to an escalated issue would be totally ludicrous; such lack of alacrity is everything that epitomizes what is wrong with customer service in the 21st century.
Customers will most of the time have little patience for bad experiences, and if they have one, there is a good chance they will look for somebody else to fulfill their needs. Even one tiny mistake can lead to catastrophe, which is one customer telling everybody else about their poor customer service experience.
Expediently getting back to your customers is, and always will be a matter of great importance to any type business, any size business, any industry, may you be fielding customer inquiries via telephone, email or website feedback form. Placing responsiveness at the top of your customer service objectives is the simplest solution to gaining a competitive advantage, producing satisfied customers, maintaining your customers through repeat business, and building your market share through client referrals. Responsiveness is the single most important factor to enhancing customer satisfaction.
There isn't a doubt that 'your daddy's customer service' will still be much appreciated even in the most chaotic of times, thus providing customer satisfaction -- that would encompass answering the phone immediately if possible, not putting the customer on hold and instead coming up with correct answers on the fly and personalizing service with a cherry on top. But with automation prevailing in today's society, we have to recognize how important it is to respond to customers with alacrity and accuracy, especially if said individual has previously been put on hold for an inordinate amount of time, listening to the same old-same old recording and having had to go through the rigmarole of pushing this button and that button, only to end up leaving another gosh darned message instead of speaking to a live person with real feelings.
It is not always required, though, that a company replies immediately to a customer query, may it by phone, via email or in person; a timely response is all that would be required. Responsiveness is a primary component of customer satisfaction.
What, pray tell, is a "timely response", in that case?
You have to consider the customer perspective when defining a "timely response." There are several ingredients that can be thrown in the stew of customer-defined timeliness, and these may include the customer's personal expectations or how urgently they need their queries answered.
Another deplorable aspect of customer service nowadays is the misconception that twenty-four hours to respond to a customer inquiry will do. Again, we are traditionalists who believe that if we were to take the customer's vantage point, having to wait a good twenty-four hours either for a simple answer to a very basic question or the smartest and most viable solution to an escalated issue would be totally ludicrous; such lack of alacrity is everything that epitomizes what is wrong with customer service in the 21st century.
Customers will most of the time have little patience for bad experiences, and if they have one, there is a good chance they will look for somebody else to fulfill their needs. Even one tiny mistake can lead to catastrophe, which is one customer telling everybody else about their poor customer service experience.
Expediently getting back to your customers is, and always will be a matter of great importance to any type business, any size business, any industry, may you be fielding customer inquiries via telephone, email or website feedback form. Placing responsiveness at the top of your customer service objectives is the simplest solution to gaining a competitive advantage, producing satisfied customers, maintaining your customers through repeat business, and building your market share through client referrals. Responsiveness is the single most important factor to enhancing customer satisfaction.
About the Author:
Making a well informed office chair decision has never been more important to you and your health. Find the most extensive collection of office chairs and other office seating available.
No comments:
Post a Comment