Customer service can make or break a company. Bad customer service will stop 45% of consumers in their tracks while they are mid-transaction. Additionally, according to the White House Office of Consumer Affairs, it is costs six to seven times more to attract a new customer than it does to retain a new customer. These and many more statistics tell us one thing: customers want great customer service. But what does that mean?
Here are the top five things customers most want from a customer service representative:
1. Customers want service representatives to be upfront with them about bad news.
This means the age-old question: “Do you want the good news or the bad news” has finally been answered. Customers want to know the bad news first.
2. Compassion and insight matters more to clients than speed, unless they are interacting over social media.
A Gallup survey showed that people liked being cared for and given a quality service, even when it was a little slower than service at a lower level of care and attention. However, another survey done by The Social Habit indicates that 42% of customers using social media for customer service issues expect a response within 60 minutes or less.
3. Customers want an agent to solve their problem for them.
No one wants to escalate a call. An eConsultancy survey found that 56% of clients would prefer to sort out their issue in a single interaction. Many consumers do not actually want to “speak with a supervisor.”
4. Your customers want to be able to call or live chat someone.
According to the same eConsultancy survey, 61% of customers want to be able to call for customer service while 57% would be happy to live chat. Additional preferences include contacting customer service over email (60%), online knowledge base/FAQ (51%), or “click to call” support automation (34%).
5. Clients want followup.
37% of customers surveyed by eConsultancy said they would like to be able to follow up with the same representative if necessary, while 27% would like the company to get in touch and make sure they remain happy with the transaction.
At AGR Customer Service, we provide compassionate and effective customer service to the energy industry. Not only do we have the years of expertise in this field to give excellent customer service, we care enough to provide it quickly, with a smile. Contact us today and find out how we can help you give your clients the customer service they deserve.
