Does this sound familiar? Your budding business hasn’t received any customer complaints; your stock is of the highest level of quality, plus you’ve been in your industry for decades. And yet, despite all of your preparation and confidence, you still find yourself despondent when looking over your books.
If you believe the customer is always right, marketing is the most important aspect of your business and that good customer service is incredibly obvious, then this is the article for you!
The next time your team are on the floor interacting with customers, take note of some of these customer service traps and make sure you and your team don’t manage to fall into any of them!
MYTH #1
“Once our customers get what they want, our job is done!”
Recent studies show that 70 percent of the buying experience is based on how the customer feels they’re being treated, so relying solely on your products is futile if you don’t have the service team to back you up. From the moment your customer walks into your shop to handing the customer their purchase, their experience should be a positive one that lasts beyond that single moment.
MYTH #2
“No complaints mean our customers are happy!”
Shockingly, only 4 percent of unhappy customers will complain about their bad experience with you, while the overwhelming majority will remain silent. Even worse, 91 percent of those disgruntled customers will simply say nothing and not return to your services, so just because you can’t hear any complaints, that doesn’t indicate customer satisfaction.
MYTH #3
“To reach more customers, we need a revolutionary marketing campaign!”
Most companies will often focus on their product quality and their marketing campaign in order to reach new customers. As it turns out, a new customer costs 6 to 7 times more to obtain, rather than retaining an existing one. What this means is you ought to treat your current customers like royalty, rather than focussing on ways to acquire new ones.
MYTH #4
“Good customer service isn’t rocket science!”
You would think that smiling, eye contact, and building a rapport are all common sense, but spend a day going around to different companies and you’ll soon realise it isn’t. Make sure your team are customer-friendly, because some people simply aren’t! If your team are lacking in interpersonal skills or self-awareness, then their idea of good customer service is going to be far different to yours.
MYTH #5
“Good customer service can be taught in one day!”
Well, you could try that, but the information presented is likely to go in one ear and out the other, especially after the first three hours of Powerpoint Presentations and “trust exercises”. Short, sharp and periodic customer-service training is the easiest way to ensure your team retain new skills and information. We hear Canity is pretty great…
MYTH #6
“The customer is always right!”
If you’ve been working in customer-service for a while, you’ll know this cliché ought to be avoided like the plague! Customers can be misinformed, but regardless of whether they’re right or wrong, they’re still the customer, and your devotion to them shouldn’t falter if they have their wires crossed. However, this does not mean you or your staff ought to cop any kind of aggression, hostility and verbal abuse. Ensure your staff know how to diffuse emotional situations so they’re prepared for any kind of customer to walk through your doors – even the wrongs ones.
MYTH #7
“My staff has everything handled, so I can just sit back and relax!”
Ignoring the customer experience can be a very easy trap to fall into; especially if you’re too busy concentrating on various other aspects of your business. If you haven’t already, take the time to park where your customers park, use the customer entrance, call your business and hear how your staff sound, and use the same website so you can truly experience what your customers go through. You’ll soon take note of any pain points and you’ll avoid disappointment!
MYTH #8
“I’ll just wing it!”
When has this ever been a good idea? If something goes wrong, you need to ensure you have a plan in place so your staff know how to handle complaints and disappointment. Implement a comprehensive customer recovery plan so your staff never look like a deer in headlights with unsatisfied customers.
MYTH #9
“We know what our customers want.”
While you can train your staff and ensure your products and services are at the highest standard, don’t forget that it’s your customer’s expectations of what “good” service is that’s most important, not yours. Testimonials from previously happy customers are a great way to see your company’s strengths and how you can continue to exceed expectations. While negative reviews show how you can improve, positive reviews are just as powerful!
Customer Service Myths: Busted
The customer experience these days is absolutely vital to the success of your business, which is why it’s so important to not be privy to a world of customer clichés. Manage customer expectations by putting yourself in their shoes, and ensure your service staff are at the peak of their customer service training, by implementing short, powerful training on a daily basis.
