The cost of bad customer service

Ever heard the saying happy wife, happy life? Customer service (happy customers, happy lives) is no different. Customers are the cornerstone of every business. They’re what keeps it afloat, so it’s in your best interest to keep them around for as long as possible. To do so, you need to meet or even exceed their expectations. If you don’t, you risk tarnishing your reputation and losing revenue and long-term clients.

One-third of consumers say they would consider switching companies after just one poor customer service experience. Furthermore, most American consumers have decided not to complete a purchase due to poor customer service experiences. As a result, American companies suffer more than $62 billion in losses each year.

The worst part is that 91% of customers simply leave without complaining–robbing companies of the chance to improve and redeem themselves through other positive experiences. Not only that — 4 out of 10 unsatisfied customers will advise others not to frequent a business if they have poor customer service.

According to a study of 500 consumers who have completed a high-stakes purchase, as prices rise, so do the demands for a superior customer buying experience, and businesses that can’t meet those expectations risk losing their business.

So what exactly is a bad customer experience? There are a few scenarios that fall into this category:

Slow responses
Lack of responses (65% of customer emails are ignored.)
Ignoring feedback/messages from unsatisfied customers (79% of consumers who shared complaints about a poor customer experience online had their complaints ignored.)
Lack of information (22% of customers abandoned a shopping cart due to lacking information.)
Multiple agents requesting the same information
A rude customer service representative
Customer service interactions that require a lot of customer effort

Without the right tools, preventing a poor customer service experience can be incredibly difficult. It’s nearly impossible to monitor all communication channels manually and offer assistance in real-time. That’s where customer support software comes in handy. By investing in robust yet straightforward software, you can keep your customer satisfaction at an all-time high. Don’t forget that keeping your loyal customers happy is less expensive and time-consuming than acquiring new ones.