Running a business is not a nine-to-five job. Even those who work regular hours find that they are pulled in several different directions due to a continuous string of urgent matters. This can be tough on the company’s staff and even its top management. A hectic environment can affect not only your business’s day-to-day operations but also cause disruptions in the service to your clients. So, what could be the consequences of bad customer service?
Loss of Business
Nowadays, people have very little patience for bad customer service. If your business is a medical facility, the patients might stick around for a while if they like their doctor. However, if they feel they are not getting enough attention while at the office or cannot reach the receptionist or a nurse on the phone, eventually they will find a different clinic to go to.
If your company produces products for consumption or provides clients with services such as construction, plumbing, electrical, pest control, or property management, with the lack of good customer service, the loss of clients will occur even faster. Nobody wants to be leaving messages and waiting for a response for hours or even days. A few missed calls and your clients will start feeling ignored and move on to the next company.
Bad Reputation
We live in a technologically advanced world where news travel at the speed of wifi. Per each unsatisfied client, you might unintentionally generate hundreds if not thousands of clients who will never give you a chance because your online rating has slipped. Remember, those customers who like your company might never bother going to Google Business or Yelp to give you well-deserved accolades. However, those who had a bad experience are much more likely to publicly share their opinion. Don’t let that happen. It takes decades to build a good reputation, and one bad review to ruin it.
Loss of New Leads
If you ever tried to get a hold of a Customer Service Department of any business, you know very well how hopeless it might feel to even attempt to get help. Long hold, a complicated menu that sometimes leads nowhere, and the frustration that comes with it – it is not what you want to experience while looking for a new vendor or a service. Needless to say, if you ARE the vendor or service, the last thing you need is to put your prospective clients in a similar situation. Every one of them will walk away in search of a company that allows for live interaction and a pleasant, helpful customer service experience. Loss of new leads might cause your profits to spiral downwards fast and potentially bring your business to a halt.
Loss of Employees
It is only a matter of time before your most dedicated employees will start getting disillusioned. If your company has a customer service issue, everyone else has to contribute to making up for it to keep the business afloat. Money isn’t everything. Even if you are providing your workers with good living wages, the pressure and the stress of having to constantly pick up the slack will eventually get to them and they will find a more comfortable working environment.
Solutions
A solid business plan, great product, smart management, and qualified employees are the pillars of building a company. However, good customer service and as a result happier customers is an investment into your company’s longevity. Any issue can be dealt with if you approach it with creativity, professionalism, and kindness.
A bad review can generate a potential return customer if you reach out to the author and make an effort to get to the bottom of the problem, make amends, or try to work things out. If all goes well, the upset client might even be willing to take down their unfavorable comment. The worst that can happen is that you will have learned a valuable lesson on how to improve your customer service.
To protect yourself from losing existing business or missing out on the new leads, make sure that you have dedicated employees consistently attending to your phones, taking messages, making appointments, and answering questions. If you don’t have enough hands available and need help with these daunting and time-consuming tasks, reach out to a call answering service specializing in your industry. This way you will ensure that someone is always there for your clients protecting your company and its reputation. It is essential that your clients feel appreciated and well taken care of while you continue to grow and expand your business.
For more information about what to look for in the answering service as part of your company’s Customer Service, contact us or call Answering365 for a free consultation at 888-588-9800
