The other day, somebody asked me, what stands out in GA, as a company? At that particular point, the only thing that could come to my mind was the CUSTOMER; we handle our customers with consideration. Apart from all other factors that have contributed to GA’s business success, Customer Experience stands out.
How many times have you lodged a complaint with an organization and you were rudely dismissed or pointed to the terms and conditions or even were engaged in a heated debated? How many times have you called a customer service number and were put on a hold for a very long time before you spoke to someone to resolve an issue? See, one of the things that a business absolutely must do is handle their customers well but many businesses have failed this elementary test of business success.
It is said that a customer’s satisfaction is the single most important measure of business success: not revenue, not profitability, not shareholder returns. An ideal customer experience is productive, friction-less and natural, regardless of the brand one is dealing with, channel being used or the time of the day. Successful companies have come to the realization that handling customers better is the only way to succeed. Well, it is correct to say that there are businesses flourishing, despite their bad customer experience but it’s just a matter of time. Such businesses have their demise assured, the question only being the date of the burial.
Generally, customers have high expectations of good products and services. Switching cost i.e. costs that a consumer incurs as a result of changing brands, suppliers or products are getting lower each and every day and the client’s power of choice has increased and cannot be compared with what was there a decade ago. With this current trend, the guiding force of every board room decision should be putting the customer at the center of every decision. Chief executives, management and the team at large need to demonstrate a genuine commitment to customer experience.
Can you remember the last time you chose a company over another one? What informed your decision? You will realize that a customer isn’t just interested in what a company can do for them but also, one that satisfies them holistically. It is not just about the discounts and promotions. A business has to treat customer experience as a key and strategic business driver and turn it into an actionable agenda.
Handling Customer Complaints
Many times, customers lodge complaints through tweets, emails, calls or even messages on Facebook. How should we handle such complaints? What is the most excellent way?
What not to do;
For many, the first typical response is not to reply or engage. If it doesn’t work, many point the customers to the terms and conditions. Such people are keen not to admit responsibility and ensure that the customer understands that it is their fault. Others engage the customer in long debates to show them that they are just people, whose aim is to defraud the company.
But what is the most excellent way of handling a customer’s complaint?
Learn to first apologize and express genuine regret that your customer felt let down. Secondly, take time to carefully look at exactly what happened. If your business is on the wrong or let down the client, accept the fault offer compensation or replace the product or assure them that it won’t happen again. However, this cannot be a mere promise. Prove that you mean it. Look for persistent trends in your customers’ feedback. The problem could be your process, system, people or even maybe your leadership could be at fault. Whatever it is, fix the problem.
Conclusion
Every serious organization must understand that there is a lot riding on delivering a good customer experience. Hiring and training good people is not enough. It is also important that tools needed to provide a good customer experience are also provided. Be there for the customers – no matter how they reach out to you – be consistent, and build your brand through satisfied customers. It is important to note that customers don’t care which department they are talking to, when they call. To them, it is all one big team and all they just want are answers to their questions and their issues resolved. A company could work on bringing all interactions and data together in one place so as to offer a personalized experience.
Article by Nelly Tuluba
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