Recently we created an infographic that illustrated the increasing frustration of customers across all industries with the level of customer service they receive. We’ll include the infographic below, but we wanted to highlight three stats that matter for businesses of all kinds to help guide you in your quest to stellar customer service.
71% of visitors expect help within 5 minutes when making a purchase online.
Yes, it’s true: speed matters. When customers are browsing your website and encounter a question they need answered, there are two outcomes: they will get the information they need that will enable them to move forward with their purchase/reservation, etc .or they won’t, and they will move on to a competitor. It’s that simple. While live chat can address some questions, more in-depth inquiries require a phone call. Especially given the fact that 67% of online shoppers will call a business directly for any purchase over $100. Giving them a phone number to call that puts them in contact with you quickly and efficiently will be appreciated. And if you have a way to track exactly which page or keyword drove their call, even better.
67% of customers are frustrated by the inability to speak with a live service representative and hang up with their issues unresolved.
For many customer issues, a sophisticated IVR can be used to address their questions. Hours and location, product reorders and refills, etc. But for more complex issues, human-to-human conversation is the highest order of customer service one can receive. Your customers know it, and they expect to be able to speak with you directly if they have an issue that needs addressing. The last thing you want is for them to have a problem and be unable to reach you. The next step after that frustration is shopping around for someone to take your place.
55% of customers would pay extra to receive better service.
This isn’t to say that you should charge extra to provide good customer service: your service should always be great. (VIP privileges is another question, of course, and many businesses find success with this kind of perk.) Instead what you should take away from this statistic is the notion that good service is that important to your customers. Rather than see it as an opportunity to make a buck, look at it this way: your product or service may be cheaper than your competitor, but if your competition has better service? Your customers won’t bat an eye switching over. Customers want to feel cared for and heard, and are willing to pay more to get it.
You can see the full infographic below, and if you want to learn more about strategies for improving your customer service, you can download this white paper, Beyond the Cloud: The Next Generation of Virtual Call Centers.
