It’s been said that it takes just seven seconds for someone to form a judgement about you. We also know from recent International research that first impressions are also tough to challenge once they’ve been established. This means that getting your CX right from the very first moment that a customer comes into contact with you is important to make a good lasting impression.
Deloitte also concluded in a survey that 62% of organisations viewed customer experience as the main factor that established them against their competitors. So in order to make yourself stand out from your competitors, you need to make a good first impression and make it quickly.
This is backed up by the results from a report by kayako, which concluded that “almost 60% of consumers said they were unlikely or very unlikely to return to a business that they had experienced poor customer service from, even if a trusted friend said the service had improved.” The report also concluded that word of mouth was one of the most trusted forms of product or service marketing.
So not only will a good customer experience separate you from your competitors but it can also serve you well when it comes to word of mouth promotion, we'd like to list a few basic things that will make a difference to your customers in the long run.
Get their details right
Whether it's Ms, Mrs or Miss, make sure you focus on the details of your customer and note them down so yourself and other agents can refer to specific information such as the correct title next time they call. Making sure you obtain both accurate and detail orientated data will give you more to work with to help create a great CX.
Jeremy Watkin co-founder of Customer Service Life noted his frustrations after a trailer delivery company took down the wrong number twice and gave him incorrect contact details so that neither could communicate with each other. He states that “Awesome customer service is about delivering value to your customers. That value starts with getting it right the first time so your customers and colleagues don’t have to spend extra time correcting errors.”
Take your time over the first call
The first time that you deal with a customer, don’t rush. Make sure that you take the time to address any concerns or questions that the customer might have. Not only will this mean that they don’t have to call back later on, but that from the very first meeting you show a keen interest in making them happy.
Even if you can’t take a huge deal of time, whatever you do don’t put the customer on hold for extended periods or redirect them to someone else. Try and solve their problem yourself as best you can because shifting them around from department to department or leaving the line dead will make them feel undervalued. Remember that this is their first experience and you want it to be positive for them.
'Do it once, do it right'
This was a motto that many top service organisations embraced to good effect according to Aly Pinder, a researcher for the Aberdeen Group. By sorting a customer’s problem or query the first time round not only will you provide outstanding service but you'll prevent customers from going into a ‘churn’ or from having to contact you multiple times in order to get one problem sorted.
Start to build a bank of good customer experience
By starting to build up a bank of good customer service experiences, you not only gain a customer’s trust, but establish a sense of flexibility when things don't always go to plan. Let's take your favourite local restaurant, you've been a loyal customer for years and have always received exceptional customer service, so on that one occasion they got your order wrong you're much more likely to forgive and return as a customer.
Ruby Newell-Legner concluded that it takes 12 positive experiences to make up for one unresolved negative experience, so start building up the CX bank straight away and in doing so you’re more likely to retain as well as gain new customers.
