Our last blog post focused on the cost of inconvenience in customer service. A recent Avaya study showed that 66% of customers will STOP spending money with you if your service is inconvenient.
The study further points out that what is truly at stake is the lifetime value of that customer. If a customer feels that an experience is low effort and efficient, they appreciate it. (Does anyone think about the Staples Easy Button ad here?) If all this is true, what leads to a perception of a difficult customer encounter?
- Having to repeatedly contact you to resolve an issue
- Inability to reach a human to get an answer to complete a transaction
- Interacting with a rep who lacks knowledge on the product or service
- Being transferred between staff or departments to get an answer or complete a transaction
Mark Wilson, Chief Marketing Officer at Avaya points out that ”companies need to test the service experience at every point in the customer journey to see how much effort it reqauires and whether it supports their brand objectives and business priorities”.
What are YOU doing to map your customer journey? Some time ago, I posted an article asking ‘Have You Called Your Office Lately’. If you haven’t, you may want to check out that post and get on the phone and give it a try. This could be your first step in the customer’s shoes to see how easy it is to reach a live person. TIME is a precious commodity for customers today. And as the study points out, it may trump price. Over half the respondents of this study said they would pay MORE to companies that provide consistently easy customer service. 21% said they would pay up to 10% MORE! So if you think your budget won’t allow for changes that bring ease to the customer service process, think again. That expenditure may have a direct link to your bottom line profits!
Click HERE to see more on the Avaya/Harris Interactive study.
