Maybe it will help us more if we don’t stop at customer service and get started on customer engagement. Customer service at least the way some companies understand it, or listen to how some (former) customers feel they cease to exist the moment they call about a complaint. Sometimes companies look all over for a way to improve sales when their greatest resource is right under their noses.
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Everyone will agree word of mouth is gold. But not many look at the price tag: studies show customers look for advice on buying decisions mostly from people they know personally, close to 90 percent in some results. Ads work up to a point by getting the word out, but people open their wallets because a family member or friend told them it’s a good idea.
The same studies agree customers satisfied by a seller’s treatment will spread the word, fully three in four for the most loyal ones. Yes, treatment, as opposed to the product: fairness and respect dealing with a complaint rank higher than product quality when it comes to winning a customer’s loyalty. If a seller leaves a good impression the first time they answer a complaint, people will even overlook defects the next time they happen.
Many of us unconsciouly place a personal stake on our buying decisions, because we buy things that complete our self-image. The thing about self-image is it needs constant reinforcement, or don’t we all wait on friends to comment about how something looks on us after asking the same question before we bought it? People working in customer service know customers will fight fiercely for a representative who makes them feel positive about a purchase, and by extension themselves.
The sad thing is most people treat getting a complaint like it’s the end of the world. But with a little psychology and an earnest attitude to customer service, it could be like getting a new investor. But not a silent partner if they work on it.
