No matter how stellar your products could be, If you have poor customer service, your clients will still complain about it. In the long run, you will lose your customers.
Did you know that 59% of your customers would go to a new company to receive better customer service? That would be very challenging for your business to overcome.
While it’s never too late to transform this aspect of a business, improving your customer service won’t happen overnight. It requires a serious commitment to achieve significant change, a set of dedicated professionals, investment, and resources.
But what really is customer service? Why is it so relevant in today’s competitive market?
Customer service defined
Customer service is the interaction between a buyer and a seller. Customer service can also be defined as the act of providing support to your existing customers, as well as potential clients.
Customer service has its various meanings depending on one’s business philosophies, the industry they revolve in, and the type of support they offer to its clients.
Customer service representatives either receive calls or initiate them, depending on their level of business. They respond to customers’ questions through phone, email or social media.
Why is customer service important?
Delivering the finest customer service is important for any business to succeed. Read on to discover what are the reasons why customer service is important, and what a good customer service can do to your business:
Gain more loyal customers
Aside from attracting customers, you have to learn how to retain them. That would give you a heavy anchor to keep your entire organization thriving.
Research shows that it’s five times more expensive to attract new customers than to retain existing ones.
Satisfied customers become devoted buyers when the business has become trustworthy for them. They’ll likely make new purchases and become repeat customers.
Customer retention carves your business’ clearest path to scalability and success. Gaining more loyal customers will give you an incredible reputation and stable revenue.
Generate more revenue
While in the topic of revenue, it is often natural for loyal customers to provide free and positive endorsements for your business.
If they are head over heels about your product and services, they will post it online, recommend it to friends, and give you a positive review. All these will help you strengthen your brand.
With the age of social media, where every routine motivates people to post it online, customers will publicly share their excellent customer service experiences too.
This also contributes to the number of people who make purchasing decisions based on recommendations from family and friends.
Additionally, you’ll be surprised when satisfied customers will even return to your business even after two more years of having a good customer service experience!
Build a better reputation
You may have your own idea of what your brand represents—its ideals, purpose, and goals. However, your customers have no idea about any of it, so they’ll make assumptions based on their own experiences.
It could be their experience or interactions from your social media accounts, advertisements, content, and other external marketing.
Your customer service team, on the other hand, has more control over interactions. As your agents directly speak to your customers, they have the responsibility of representing your brand appropriately.
Reputation goes a long way in a business. If you have a fragrant image, it would lead to higher growth. After a positive customer experience, 69% would recommend the company to others.
Your customer service team plays an essential role in relaying to customers what you want your brand image to be. They can influence customers’ buying decisions and show them your edge that others don’t have.
Boost employee retention
Valued employees are much eager to work for businesses that appreciate their contributions. If they feel sincerely valued, they will perform better because they are your main advocates for the business.
Your agents, no matter how challenging an event might be, will be more willing to
stick with the company as long as they have a healthy, understanding, and compensating workplace.
If you have a solid company culture, it will strengthen your employees, hence they can improve customer service.
By tirelessly catering to your clients’ needs, you simultaneously create a company culture of helpfulness.
The workload becomes teamwork, tasks get done more efficiently, productivity goes up, and both employee and customer dynamics thrive in an openly collaborative environment.
Gives your business an edge
Retaining your customers is one thing, but acquiring your competitors is different. Switching brands would be a lot easier for consumers once they’ve found out the services you can offer.
Unhappy consumers would cut ties with a brand after a poor customer service experience. Don’t worry because this scenario is absolutely preventable.
This is possible because a well-constructed customer service team can give your company the edge it needs to separate itself from the rest.
Customer service: Key to a business’ success
Customer service is one of the most overriding factors in doing business, yet it can also be the most undervalued. If you can highlight its worth, and get your team ready to harness its full potential, its success will impact your organization.
These main reasons why customer service is important are just a few too many reasons why. Let these stats and examples give you a wider perspective on how to drive your customer support team.
It might be demanding of funds, resources, and support but it’s worth every sweat and penny when you prioritize customer service in your company.
