14 October 2014

Customer Service Pet Peeves

Answer365 CustomerService21

Everyone has, at some point in their lives, been a victim of below average customer service. Some of us have even found ourselves reaching a point of yelling down the phone to a complete stranger out of sheer desperation and irritation. In a world where the media has become so transparent, and social media platforms can make or break your business with one disgruntled customer complaint. No business can take the chance of allowing their customers to reach such a point. There are some crucial customer service mistakes that companies need to avoid in order to uphold a good reputation.

Being put on Hold

Nothing wastes time like being put on hold for ages; waiting to talk to someone who can assist you with a query or complaint. An extension of this is being transferred from person to person and having to re-explain your issue each time. Not only is this a waste of time (and money-if the call is not free), it also shows a complete lack of organization within a company.

Having your Call Dropped

After spending ages waiting in a queue for your call to be answered, you finally get an answer and the call is dropped, leaving you to restart the process all over again.

Lack of Telephone Etiquette

If you work for a company that requires communication via telephone, the least that one can expect is decent telephone etiquette. It is very off putting to speak to someone who seems bored, uninterested, and especially rude. When someone needs assistance, which relates to a company or its products, the last thing they need is to feel like they are doing you a disservice by asking for help.

Lack of Knowledge

A company and all of its employees should know and understand all aspects of both its products and services, so speaking to someone who seems to have no clue about what you are talking about looks extremely unprofessional. In addition to this, speaking to someone who can’t articulate very well, or speaks too fast or too softly, can also cause irritation to a client in need of assistance.