It’s no coincidence that companies that deliver rockin' customer service are industry leaders and innovators. So why aren’t companies focusing on improving the service that they deliver?  It seems like this is a no-brainer; however, companies get too lazy, caught up in the day-to-day, and/or don’t want to invest the time and money on mandating a focus on service excellence. Don’t be one of these companies- it’s careless and brainless.  We want you to ROCK at customer service!

Still need some convincing about why customer service should be a top priority?  From a Salesforce blog post by Kendall Thorton, “18 Interesting Stats to Get You Rethinking Your Customer Service Process,” here are 8 powerful statistics that are very telling...

1. It is 6-7 times more costly to attract a new customer than it is to retain an existing customer. (White House Office of Consumer Affairs)
2. 89% of consumers have stopped doing business with a company after experiencing poor customer service. (RightNow Customer Experience Impact Report)
3. Consumers are 2 times more likely to share their bad customer service experiences than they are to talk about positive experiences. (2012 Global Customer Service Barometer)
4. A customer is 4 times more likely to buy from a competitor if the problem is service related vs. price or product related. (Bain & Co.)
5. 33% of consumers would recommend a brand that provides a quick but ineffective response, while 17% of consumers would recommend a brand that provides a slow but effective solution. (Nielsen-McKinsey)
6. It takes 12 positive customer experiences to make up for one negative experience. (Parature)
7. 70% of buying experiences are based on how the customer feels they are being treated. (McKinsey)
8. 55% of consumers would pay more for a better customer experience. (Defaqto Research)

The last one (#8) really resonates with me as so many of my buying decisions are driven by the confidence that I have in the level of service that I will receive.  Paying a premium to receive outstanding service (and a great product) is worth the extra expense.  For example, we chose to spend 10% more on the cost of a flooring install simply because the chosen vendor was quick to respond to our inquiries and connected with us on a personal level during each interaction (whenever we talk, the gentleman accurately recalls something about our family- whether it be our kids, dog, etc.).  The workmanship aligned with the service impression we got; this company did not disappoint!

Now you really “get it,” so what can you do to rock at creating a strong service culture?  You have to start somewhere, so how about you start with the basics.  We are making it easy for you- download our "Top 10 Customer Service Skills" training tool and make the tips a standard.  Once you feel the positive impact of this, you will want to instill the new service excellence culture further. 

What ideas do you have for ways that businesses can easily implement better customer service?  Please share in the comments.