How Customer Service Can Make or Break Your Business
Virginia Scott
Front-Line Customer Service Representative
A commonly held misconception in the business world is that good customer service is an optional practice. In reality, good customer service could be the first and most important tool for building your customer base.
In the office: You only get one first impression and the goal is to make guests feel welcomed and comfortable when they walk through the doors. Professionalism is a must when greeting guests with a “Good morning” or “Good afternoon,” hand shake, offering refreshments, and providing them with sufficient information about their appointment.
On the phone: Even in the digital age, it is estimated that more than 100 billion phone calls are placed to businesses each year. You can set the tone for success just by being courteous when your office phone rings.
The Marchex Institute conducted a study of consumers and found that a warm greeting results in 22 percent of consumers being more likely to buy your product or service. Consumer calls that ended with a purchase were reportedly answered with a warm greeting 63 percent of the time.
For large call centers, this can equate to $20 million in additional revenue each year — just by being friendly!
Overall value: High-quality customer service is also a great way to retain businesses. Companies are more than three times more likely to sell to an existing customer over a new customer, with existing customers willing to spend 31 percent more money.
Depending on your industry, it will cost your company between 4 and 10 times more to acquire a new customer than it does to keep an existing one. That investment starts with a customer’s first point of contact and lasts through every interaction. Consistency is important.
One-third of American consumers have a bad customer service interaction each month, and 58 percent relay that experience to friends. But positive interactions can also spread the word, as happy customers who have a problem solved will typically tell between four and six people.
No matter how an interaction goes, close out every customer interaction with a smile, a thank you, and a welcome back. It takes almost no effort and it could be the positive, lasting impression you need to keep your customers coming back.
Please email us or call 1-(800)-LOUDOUN to learn more about how growing your business in Loudoun is #LoudounPossible.