Customers are the bedrock of any business. Not only do they provide the income streams businesses need to live, but their word of mouth helps keep new customers coming in. This is why it’s important to be able to address and resolve common customer complaints quickly and effectively. But to be able to address problems, you have to understand where they start. Identifying what’s a problem to be solved and what you can let go of is the sign of a strong and confident leader.
Poor Customer Service Representatives
A successful customer service department can have a huge effect on a business’s success. For example, in a survey conducted by Forbes, it was found that nearly eight in 10 Americans said that they wouldn't shop with a retailer ever again if they received bad customer service. Customer service representatives are the front line of this department, and are often the first thing customers encounter in the department. A poor customer service representative may exhibit the following traits:
- Rude;
- Hard to understand;
- Excessive use of hold or transferring.
Another common complaint about customer service departments, that may have nothing to do with the representatives, is the inability to speak to a person over a bot. This is a failing in the company’s processes, and can be addressed by upper management.
Quality Issues With Products or Services
Another top complaint from consumers about companies is the quality of products. Poor quality or missing or broken pieces can leave incredibly negative impressions on your customers. The same can be said for incomplete or unsatisfactory work when it comes to services.
Cheap materials, while more budget-conscious, often fall apart faster and show more wear. Investing in better quality materials isn’t just an investment in your product but in customer satisfaction. Additionally, having open lines of communication with your customers about what to expect when it comes to deliverables is another great way to help lessen complaints about quality.
Extended Wait Times
Extended wait times can apply to both shipping of products, as well as hold times for customer service. Your wait times should be congruent with the amount of time it takes to produce your product or deliver your service. Creating efficient systems not just for customers, but for employees, is incredibly important for reducing complaints about wait times and increasing productivity and outputs.
According to RingCentral, 57% of customers find long hold times frustrating. This could be why the average hold time is only 90 seconds. While this may seem like a short amount of time on the administrative end, for someone waiting for a problem to be solved it can feel quite long. Building systems to access or release information within this time window can help keep your wait times short and your customers happy.
Lack of One-call Resolution
One-call resolution, also called first call or first contact resolution, is a term used to describe customer inquiries or problems that are resolved on the first call or contact with a representative. This type of resolution can address several of the complaints described above by cutting down wait times and improving client/customer service agent interactions.
Things like one-call resolution have become more commonplace as digital claim technology advances. Lack of first call resolution, or first contact resolution, can be associated with poor customer service. Implementing one-call resolution strategies can be a great way to upgrade your customer service with resources already owned by or available to your company.
No Follow-up
Follow-up messages to claims are incredibly important, particularly in the absence of one-call resolution. Some problems may be too complex to resolve with first-call resolution — follow-up messages not only help resolve complex problems but provide a feeling of personal attention.
A survey by Bond found that 55% of millennials prefer personalized experiences and services. This is an important statistic because millennials make up roughly 23% of the entire world’s population, and have overtaken baby boomers as the largest living adult generation, making up a huge part of global consumers. By adding something as simple as a personalized follow-up email to your customer service process, you can add a lot of appeal to a huge amount of consumers.
Misrepresentation of Products
Both intentional and unintentional misrepresentation of products or services can cause issues for a business’s reputation. This is why it’s so important to establish clear expectations and have open communication. Representing things like exact measurements, weight, or the number of pieces is important to list clearly on your site or product packaging.
Having an FAQ page on your site can be another great way to avoid misrepresentation of products or services. This way, consumers can seek out answers to their questions immediately, without having to send in a formal contact request.
Failure To Deliver
A complete failure to deliver, especially with no prior contact, can deal a huge blow to your business. This could be a no-show for a service, or a product not showing up at its final destination. Consumers who experience no-shows may leave negative reviews, demand refunds, or even contact a corporate office to complain.
Follow-ups are another great way to avoid complete failure to deliver, as it gives the customer a line of communication if their item is taking longer than expected. Tightening up your supply chain can be another way to reduce the likelihood of delayed or failed-to-deliver goods.
Ways To Improve Your Customer Service
By improving your overall customer service, you can address pain points proactively, and increase your customer relationships. There are several steps you can take to improve your customer service department. Such as:
- Leveraging claims management software to support data-driven decision-making and reduce claims costs;
- Providing sensitivity training to allow your organization to communicate and interact more effectively and respectfully, both internally and with customers;
- Integrating claims administration software to help reduce resource and time waste and dedicate more attention to service;
- Tightening organization and processes with a focus on more efficient resource management;
- Developing interdepartmental communication to foster greater trust, transparency, and employee satisfaction, which can impact customer service interactions in turn.
By improving your customer service processes and departments, you can improve customer relationships, increase customer retention, and promote overall success for your business.
No business is perfect, and no business can be expected to be perfect. Being upfront and honest with your customers is a great way to foster healthy client relationships. It’s important to remember that there are no shortcuts when it comes to excellent customer service.
