Poor Customer Service Behavior to Avoid

The biggest factor that can determine the success of any organization is the customer experience that they offer. Customer service can literally make or break a business, which is why it is vital to know the don’ts of customer support and this article will detail the don’t you need to avoid.

Good customer service is the one where companies have trained their customer support agents to be knowledgeable about the products/services, to listen and practice patience around their clients, and to have conscious communication with them. It also includes providing them with a channel of their preference. Comcast customer service does a very good job when it comes to that. It has the options for live chat, phone calls, social media communication, etc. Having multiple options allow customers to reach out to brands at their own ease, hence, having a repute of a brand that puts customers first.

Poor Customer Service

the capacity for poor customer service is arguably big because customer support agents often run the risk of neglecting the human element in their interactions with the customers. When the customer support staff cannot communicate as effectively, then this leads to tension with the customer, hence resulting in poor quality of their customer service.

There are a number of reasons why this happens. It might be because the staff is rude and customers are often told to keep waiting. It could be due to poor or lack of training. Or it could be the result of employee engagement and motivation lacking. Whatever the reason, it is up to the company to fix their poor service, as to prevent the jeopardizing of their brand’s reputation.

Customer Service Behavior to Avoid

What behavior of customer agents could put their reputation at a risk, one may ask. The answer to that question is examined below;

Longer Wait Times. Companies that have longer wait times are known to be at the top of the list for poor customer service. The one solution to avoiding longer wait times is to get rid of the on-hold queue. Customers would at least accept the fact that they cannot reach you at times, but they wouldn’t tolerate the waiting times.

Companies should tackle this problem through call back, which allows customers to request a call time that is suitable to them or to receive a call as soon as an agent becomes available. In such a situation, customers can get on with their day, instead of being on hold.

Slower Response Time. Customers prefer faster response times, and it is better to not keep them waiting. This need for speedy replies is particularly important for millennials and gen Z, who prefer faster communication channels.

Companies should make sure that each channel matches its expected response time. For instance, for immediate responses, the chat channel is the best option.

Automated Customer Service System. An automated system can ensure faster responses but the lack of personal support contact is the reason why it gives a poor customer experience. For instance, chatbots are ideal for dealing with quick FAQs, but they are still limited.

Hence, an automated system is a great option for customer communication, as long as they are backed by human presence. It could mean a hybrid contact system. In such a scenario, while chatbots deal with basic FAQs, if the issue gets too complex, then the human agent can take over the communication with the customer.

Multiple Agents. Costumers do not enjoy being transferred from one agent to another, because it means they have to repeat their query all over again. This can also lead to poor customer service. When customers are transferred, it increases the length of interaction and customers feel like their time is being wasted.

Through a robust customer data system, a single agent will be able to deal with customers’ requests from start to finish. They will have information on how customers entered a site, what pages they visited, what products they were interested in, etc. and this information will help them learn about the customer.

No Active Channels. Consider this scenario; a customer is browsing through an e-commerce app and is interested in purchasing it, however, he has some queries about the kind of colors that the product is available in. They might want to contact the seller through chat, but there is no option for sending a message to the seller. This also results in poor customer service, as well as customers leaving the app and going to another.

The solution to this is to provide customers with their preferred communication channels. If customers want to reach out to you through the app, add the live chat option to your app. If customers prefer reaching out to you on your Facebook page, make sure to answer their queries on your Facebook page.  

Final Thoughts

While it is good to know what aspect of your communication with the customers is going poorly, it is also important to ensure that you are offering the best customer experience.