Has your customer service department ever mishandled a call?
Placed someone on hold for twenty or thirty minutes?
Dealt with a customer without a pleasant voice? Or helpful personality?
More research is showing that a quick method of losing a customer is to give customer service that is not entirely helpful. The agent may be impatient or the customer may be rerouted through multiple agents or corralled into long wait periods, long enough to where the customer then hangs up, so impatient and frustrated with the period of time not speaking with an agent.
Many statistics are out there about experiences with customer service. Three for you:
- 86% of customers would pay 25% more for a better customer service.
- 44% of U.S. customers have taken business elsewhere due to poor customer service.
- Of those 44%, 42% moved because of rude or unhelpful staff.
- Of those 44%, 32% were tired of speaking to multiple agents.
- Of those 44%, 25% were sick of being kept on hold.
There are certain scenarios that will upset any customer service caller.
The Automation
Everyone expects to reach an automated service provider after dialing the number. Pharmacies, cell phone service companies, the doctor’s office…it seems like most companies use an automated service to route calls to the correct department.
Still, reaching a person is crucial. 75% of customers believe that calling is the most effective way to receive a quick answer, but 53% of customers become irritated when they cannot speak to someone right away.
Frustration. Anger. These words describe some who cannot reach a customer service representative quickly. People become angry when the prompts take longer than they perceive that they should.
The Unhelpful Customer Service Agent
Customer service agents have difficult jobs. They deal with customers who could be already upset with the client’s product or service.
Still, customer service agents are expected by clients to act in a professional and helpful manner. This means being courteous and helping with the situation.
Horror stories are abound of terrible customer service calls, and that frequently starts with the agent.
Agents are sometimes:
- Unhelpful
- Rude
- Not competent
- In a foul mood
The experiences with these agents leave a bad impression for customers. Sometimes an impression that doesn’t go away.
There is a solution: The Customer Service Outsourcing Company
Customer service outsourcing is popular for the following reasons:
- It cuts down on costs
- It ramps up services
- It remains an effective way to deliver customer service
First, a customer service outsourcing company cuts down on costs.
There are many overhead costs of providing customer service. Someone or a group of people have to take the calls. This requires time and effort–someone must be hired or responsibilities must be doled out to someone else in the company.
Second, a customer service outsourcing company ramps up services.
A big plus when companies outsource customer service is that new services can be added. A small company that cannot provide 24/7 customer service can now do so–through someone else.
Finally, a customer service outsourcing company remains an effective way of delivering customer service.
The ability for an outsourcing company to provide skilled employees to handle issues, who are well-trained in customer service, while adding services, is a major plus. More can be found here.
