Customer Service Stats And Facts That Will Scare You
Don’t you just love Halloween? The cold streets full of colorful costumes, children trying to scare each other with spooky features and those little voices asking you to choose between a trick or a treat… Well, most of us would go for the convenient option of a treat, for sure. Guess what? When it comes to your corporate environment and your customers, it is only fair to assume that they would also expect a treat from your Customer Service Team; instead of tricky responses and poor handling of their inquiries! Of course they would.
Unfortunately, many enterprises have a constant challenge with their customer service. Customer-facing jobs require a very particular set of skills; technical as well as soft skills. The customers need to feel that they are appreciated, that their views are taken into consideration, that someone actually c a r e s. And that requires well-trained, skillful people who have the confidence to provide nothing less than excellent customer service.
It sounds extremely simple and rounded, doesn’t it? Still, market statistics prove that many enterprises (even the successful and well-respected ones) have issues to address when it comes to customer service. Here are some very spooky customer service stats and facts, which are about to scare you:
1. Poor Customer Experience Could Cost You Revenue.
78% of consumers in the United States have bailed on a transaction or not made an intended purchase because of a poor service experience; that is almost 4/5 of buyers who were ready to make a purchase on the first place!
2. Make The Switch.
66% of customers switch companies due to poor service. That is a scary percentage - 2/3 of customers!
3. Switch Witch.
29% of customers switch because they feel annoyed by a lack of staff knowledge. 42% switch because they are put off by rude or unhelpful staff. Conclusion: Technical trainings are important. Soft skills trainings are even more important!
4. Hear It From The Horse’s Mouth.
How competent is your Customer Service Department? According to your customers, customer service agents failed to answer their questions 50% of the time. Sounds like poor service to me!
5. Is This News To You?
News of bad customer service reaches more than twice as many ears as praise for a good service experience. So, when you do something good, one person might know. When you do something bad, more than 2 persons will be informed.
What These Customer Service Stats And Facts Mean For Your Company
As we may observe, most of the fails described above are directly related to inadequate or inefficient training. Sure you have policies in place. Sure there is continuous training from industry experts. The problem is that, when it comes to customer – facing jobs, a vast amount of knowledge is informal. It is based on people’s experience and on-the-job challenges. This knowledge won’t be found in manuals and is not included in your official employee trainings. Still, it is a critical asset of your customer service department, since the lack of it can affect your customers’ satisfaction rate. And their loyalty. And drive them to your competitor’s doorstep. Boo!
Here’s is where advanced eLearning tools come in. While traditional trainings are set to provide an one-way distribution stream for your educational content, smart eLearning platforms offer an interactive experience that helps learners decide the type of content that is more relevant to their job and exchange information in social circles with their peers and managers; so that every member of your customer service team feels that they contribute to sharing expertise as well as evolving their skills themselves. Respecting that each employee is an individual with unique learning needs, they allow personalization, customization, and learning at own pace. Long work hours, geographically disperse workforce, different time zones and cultural particularities, are addressed by making trainings available anytime, on any device (and in several local languages). Yes, modern eLearning platforms are a real treat!
No tricks there. Your customers haven’t signed for poor experience, uncertain service standards, nor inaccurate responses to their questions and complaints. Your customer service teams are a crucial asset for your organization; their efficiency or inefficiency could affect your brand, your reputation, and your revenue. If you invest in providing knowledgeable service, your customers will be happy. If not, they will come back and haunt you; before moving on to the next available provider. Spooky? Yes. But manageable, too.
Sources of the Customer Service stats and facts above:
- The American Express Survey 2011
- White House Office of Consumer Affairs
- Harris Interactive
- Accenture Global Consumer Pulse
- New Voice Media
