Many companies still think they can take comfort from the fact that they have had no complaints. If no complaint was made, then everything must be good. However, the reality is that most customers do not leave after they had a major issue. Most customers do not return because their experience was mediocre and not memorable.
In customer service, one of the key principles is that lack of noise or feedback is not always a positive.
- Average service is no longer acceptable
In today’s competitive business environment, it is merely a baseline to treat customers politely and according to procedures. Customers believe this is what they deserve to be treated in all their engagements with the service provider. If customers experience a generic service encounter, then they will not be likely to return as they are able to find better service elsewhere.
- Customers will never remember exactly what they said or did
It is unlikely that the customer is ever going to recall every interaction that they had, including everything that was said and accomplished. They will remember how the interaction left them feeling, as in, whether they were treated with respect, whether they had to wait, whether they felt like they were being treated like just another customer.
Customers may be able to recall the emotional experience of that interaction and this feeling can determine whether that customer will choose to patronise that company repeatedly.
- Absent service is often more dangerous to customer retention than the service error
Sometimes a small service error is overlooked if the customer is treated as though they are important and valued by the business. But if the service representative does not pay attention, does not listen to the customer, or is not engaging enough with the customer, then the customer feels disconnected and will most likely not return.
People prefer to feel as if they have not been treated like just a case number.
- Service inconsistency is detrimental to customer retention
If service quality is different each day or with different staff member, the customer is likely to lose confidence in the business. The customers will not be able to gauge what they can expect from the service experience and that inconsistency over time will keep customers away.
If service is not performed consistently, loyalty will not be gained.
- There is no customer follow-up
For most businesses, this is a problem of service delivery. The service is completed, then that’s the end of the customer-business interaction. It appears that the business is no longer concerned about the customer and it seems like there is no further contact or follow-up.
There is no sense of closure. It is like nothing happened.
In conclusion
In the current environment of business, companies need to realise that the customer does not necessarily leave just because something went wrong, it could also be that nothing stood out to them from their experience. In this modern era, just being average as service provider is no longer good enough, businesses need to create customer experiences that customers remember as something that was consistent and memorable in order to attract more business and customer loyalty.