Loss of revenue through poor customer experience

A recent report from NewVoiceMedia has revealed that UK companies are losing £12 billion a year through poor customer service as reported by call centre helper. Up to half of UK consumers are lost by businesses that look elsewhere as result of customer service that does meet their expectations.

Of this 50%, 92% have switched service provider up to twice a year. “49% are put off from calling a business at all, for fear of being kept on hold or in a queue.” This rings alarm bells for businesses as their consumers may even be switching to competitors without even trying to resolve an issue that they have.

Jonathan Gale of NewVoiceMedia stated that, “Customers have a stronger influence on a business’s success than ever before and it’s surprising how many organisations still aren’t getting it right,” “Customer experience is a key differentiator. By doing it well, organisations can drive the customer acquisition, retention and efficiency that make leading companies successful.

This report highlights the significant importance of customer services and the effect that customer relationships have on the revenue of the business. Businesses must put customers in the heart of their organisation.

What does this mean for call centres?

This news should prompt UK companies to review their call centre outsourcing activities. It’s no secret that consumer dread the notorious foreign call centres, opting to deal with a call centre in the UK such as Orbital Response.

Many consumers still look to contact a call centre if they have any queries or complaints, however, the emergence of social media channels such as Twitter and Facebook which are actually acting as very powerful customer services tools. Telecommunication companies such as 02 and VodaPhone use digital channels to communicate with their consumers resulting in higher customer satisfaction showing that although call centres are important, it’s important to take a multichannel approach.

When you think about it, customer service is simple. You need to:

• Answer the phone! - You always need to have someone on the end of the phone who can readily deal with any complaints that your consumers may have. If you do not have the resources invest in call centre outsourcing.
• Listen to customers and deal with complaints quickly - no one likes a long drawn out process, the quicker you can get an issue resolved, the better. This doesn’t mean you should rush customers off the phone! Spend time and you will be rewarded.
• Be as helpful as possible and go the extra mile
• Give something and then give something extra!