Customers have more choices today than ever before, and the proliferation of lightning-fast social media-based communication has made it so that both good and bad news about a company travels quickly. Creating a better customer experience is a win-win for both you and your customer, which means it should be a top priority for any company that wants to be successful in the long-term.
After “value for their money”, the second most important factor contributing to a customer’s experience is the customer service they receive from a company. In one survey, 47% of respondents stated that customer service was one of the three most important factors in their overall experience. If you think about the last time you made a purchase (either personally or for your business), this makes intuitive sense; customers like to be treated well, and like to feel that their business is valued.
The importance and impact of customer experience
Without even looking at any of the hard data, it is easy to understand how much of a negative impact a poor customer experience can have. Comcast, for example, was named “The Worst Company in America” by Consumerist both in 2010 and in 2014. One of the biggest cited reasons for that ranking? Poor customer experience and long wait times while on the phone with customer service.
Of course, Comcast is an extreme example, but it is no coincidence they many of their customers (particularly those who have had to wait on their customer service line) believe that Comcast does not value their business, and those consumers are looking to change service providers as soon as possible.
It isn’t just Comcast that fails on customer service wait times. According to another customer experience study, as many as 72% of customers think it takes too long to reach a live agent, and 69% believe they were on hold for too long. As a result, a full 85% of consumers are dissatisfied overall with their phone experience.
These numbers can have a very real impact on your company’s bottom line. In a study conducted by American Express, about 55% of consumers who intended to make a purchase chose not to do so on the basis of “poor service experience”. Those same unsatisfied consumers are much more likely to share their negative experience with their friends, family, and on social media than those who have had a positive experience.
The positive impact of answering the phone quickly
In all of the studies cited above, one of the most common refrains of customers that had a poor customer experience was the long wait times, multiple transfers, and endless holding music. Needless to say, consumers don’t like it when they feel as if their time is not being valued. The most effective way to deal with that issue is to ensure that you have the resources available to handle calls from your customers as quickly as possible. Whether they are calling for sales information, to complain, or simply need support for the product or service they purchased from your company, quickly answering the phone will be appreciated by consumers who are, all too often, used to long wait times and subpar customer service.
For many companies, it can be difficult to maintain a customer service department that can meet the ebb and flow of customer calls. MAP Communications is the ideal partner for companies that want to give their customers the best customer experience possible through quick answer times. Our customer support call center service will ensure that your customers receive the assistance they need in a timely manner from customer service representatives that are training to provide friendly, courteous, and useful assistance to your customers.
If you want your customers to tell all their friends and family about the great experience they had with your company (instead of bashing your company like it’s just another Comcast), check out what MAP Communications can do for you!
Here are some related articles you might be interested in:
Why Investing in the Customer Experience Has Big Payoffs
Designing the Four Dimensions of Valuable Customer Experiences
