Are you a green industry business who recently received a tax refund? Are you wondering what you should invest that money into? If you're thinking about getting a website upgrade, new equipment or a store makeover, you should think again! Now is the perfect time to invest that money into one overlooked area that will help you grow your business - customer service.
Just because you're a green industry business, it doesn't automatically mean customers will stick with you for that reason alone. While you might gain customers because you are a company that strives to be as paperless as possible or you use solar panels on the roof of your building, there are plenty of other companies that are doing that as well. If you really want to stand out from the competition, you will realize it's not all about getting new customers but retaining the ones you have.
The Truth About Customer Service
According to the 2013 Accenture Global Consumer Pulse Survey, 66 percent of consumers around the world switched to using another company because of poor customer service. Some of the industries in the survey included:
- Retailers
- Retail banks
- Internet service providers
- Wireless phone companies
- Land line phone companies
- Gas and electric utilities
- Property insurance providers
- Hotels
In the United States, the number one reason for customer dissatisfaction proved to be having to contact the company numerous times to get a problem resolved. Consumers also complained about long hold times while on the phone with a customer service representative and having to repeat the information several times. Other complaints included:
- Dealing with impolite employees
- Having to complete a lot of paperwork or electronic forms
- Running into technology issues
- Not being able to understand information given
When a customer is making a purchase, the number one complaint is the company does not make it easy to do business with them. Another survey's results show that consumers say they would be willing to spend more money with companies who provide "excellent customer service." Consumers also view customer service as an extension of a company's values.
Investing in Customer Service
Now that you realize just how many people are not satisfied with the customer service they receive, what can you do about it? You've taken the first step in realizing just how crucial it is for your company to provide excellent customer service. The next step is to find out where you as a company might be falling short. Invest in ways to find this out. Invest in green industry software that will allow you to do surveys and take polls. Ask your customers what you could do better. Once you know, implement these ideas. A great way to find out this information is to use social media. Assemble a team to interact with customers on Facebook, Twitter, and product review sites. Have the team answer questions and respond to customer complaints.
Another way to invest in customer service is to provide training for your current customer service team. Make sure they understand the importance of being able to answer the customer's question or resolve their problem with just one phone call. Encourage them to go above and beyond the call of duty to help the customer. Most importantly, tell them to follow through on doing what they said they would to help the customer.
Nothing beats good customer service. If you are a green industry business, you will want to invest in it for both your current and your future customers.
Now that you are on your way to improving your customer service, why not measure your progress? Find out how with our eBook, Measuring Customer Satisfaction.
