When it comes to having a successful business where customers are happy, having good customer service is vital. Delighting customers is nothing new to the business world and will never go away. No business is perfect and can always be working on improving its customer service.
Customer service has been around ever since people started selling goods. It’s inevitable in business but what separates businesses from one another is good customer service and bad customer service. Depending on what type you give your customers your business can be gravely impacted.
Plus, now you have a bunch of different platforms to consider. Not only do you have to deliver customer service to your customers in face-to-face circumstances, you have to consider customer service for your online efforts such as on your website, social media platforms, etc.
Typically customer service encompasses:
- Being helpful
- Being happy, nice, having a good attitude etc.
- Showing appreciation
- Being welcoming
- Solving the customers' problem
The list could go on but those are the basics, which I think every business owner at least understands, even if they aren’t implementing them.
There are many thoughts on what good customer service is and sometimes those are actually counterintuitive to what the customer really thinks and are in fact, incorrect. Check out some of these surprising points on what people really expect out of “good customer service.”
5 Surprising Studies on What People Consider “Good” Customer Service
Posted by Len Markidan, Groove
1) Should you start with the good news, or the bad news? It depends.
How many times has someone asked you whether you want them to start with the good news or the bad news?
It’s an old cliché, but it turns out that it actually does make a difference. And the order you choose can actually change the way your customers feel and act.
Researchers at UC-Riverside tested the order in which they delivered news to subjects, and gauged their responses and behavior.
What they found was interesting: People who were given the bad news first were more likely to feel better about what they were told, while people who were given the bad news last were more motivated to act on the news.
In customer service, we generally want our customers to be happier, so it’s a good idea to lead with the bad news. But if you need to persuade the customer to act, then start with the good.
2) There are things more important than speed in great customer service...
Conventional wisdom would suggest that the faster a customer gets help, the happier they’ll be. And in general, that’s true.
However, there are other, often-overlooked elements that are even more important than speed.
One survey by Gallup measured how engaged customers felt after getting service at a bank.
While customers who felt that the bank offered speedy service were six times more likely to be highly engaged, customers who gave the bank high ratings on “people” factors (like the tellers’ courtesy and willingness to help) were nine times more likely to be fully engaged.
As William J. McEwen puts it in Married to the Brand, “Speed is one factor, but it is markedlyless important than having tellers who can deliver services in a friendly and competent manner.”
Rather than a laser focus on speed, try emphasizing thorough, attentive, and friendly customer service.
3) ... Except on social media, where speed matters most.
Customer expectations -- the expectations that customer happiness hinges on -- change based on the medium you’re interacting in.
While speed may not be most important for email, phone, or in-person support, in social media, speed trumps all.
In a survey by The Social Habit, 32% of social media users who contact a brand expect a response within 30 minutes, and 42% expect a response within 60 minutes.
Image Source: HubSpot
[Continue Reading Original Article: 5 Surprising Studies on What People Consider “Good” Customer Service]
Were you surprised by any of these results? Or maybe you’re happy and was just given validation that you’re doing everything right when it comes to customer service with your business. If so, good job, you!
If you need help making your customer happier and or need training on how to implement a customer service strategy in your business, we can help! Half a Bubble Out is a Passion and Provision company that helps small businesses all over the United States become successful. We specifically serve businesses in the Chico, Redding and Sacramento, California areas.
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