A sad recent business trend has been small business owners and mid-size companies trying to implement as “reverse customer service” technique. Instead of abiding by the old adage of “the customer is always right,” these companies attempt to gain viral notoriety by being rude to customers and breaking all the customer service rules in existence.
This strategy is good if you want your 15 minutes of fame. However, if you actually want to have a successful company, this strategy will get you nowhere. These companies never go on to be successful and usually end up closing within a few year. While bad customer service makes for a funny blog article, it does not make for a successful business.
When it comes down to it, good customer service will always be in fashion. Here’s how you can avoid some of the most common customer service disasters.
Don’t Become Notorious For Putting Customers On Hold
Call center services are one of the most popular ways that companies answer consumer inquiries. However, when a company receives a lot of calls, they frequently have no choice but to put their customers on hold for an extended period of time. Nothing make frustrated customers angrier than being placed on hold.
To avoid this, make sure that your call center has enough people on hand to take all of the calls that you have coming in on a daily basis. It’s also a good idea to give customers an option to fill out an online form and request that they be called at a certain time. This prevents them from having to sit on hold for lengthy periods of time.
Always Be Accommodating, Even To Customers Who Don’t Deserve It
Just because companies live by the rule of “the customer is always right” doesn’t mean that the customer is actually always right. In fact, there are a lot of jerks out there who love nothing more than to pick fights and try to get something for nothing.
It can be tempting to want to get back at the jerks of the world who like to live their lives this way. However, it won’t end well for your business if you do this. Like it or not, online reviews and testimonials can make or break a business. If a company has a lot of negative reviews, it can seriously adversely affect their brand.
Always accommodate customers, even if they’re not the nicest people. Biting your tongue in the face of jerks might be frustrating, but it’s essential if you want your business to not only survive, but to thrive.
Listen To Feedback
Too many companies ask for consumer feedback but don’t actually do anything with the information they receive. You’re wasting your time if you’re not willing to actually take action against the things that customers repeatedly complain about. Consumer feedback is an amazing way to get insight about how your company is doing and what things you could stand to change.
Conclusion
Customer service isn’t easy. Trying to keep everyone happy can be a real challenge. However, it’s crucial that you provide good customer service if you want your business to do well. People like doing business with companies that really listen to them and are accessible in the event that they have any issues.
