Forrester's William Band (my former mentor and leader at then Coopers & Lybrand Consulting) just published his Top Eight Customer Management Trends For 2010. I was pleased to read trend #5: Customer Service Moves Back Into The Spotlight.
Band observes: "We see a rising number of inquiries from clients about how to improve their customer service capabilities. How does customer service affects the bottom line? Forrester asked customers to rate their interaction experiences (the Customer Experience Index) based on whether they were:
1) useful — could they get what they needed to do done;
2) easy — or did they run into all kinds of hassles in the interaction process; or
3) enjoyable — or did they feel frustrated and disappointed in the interaction.
The results show that the higher the customer experience index, regardless of the industry, the more customers buy and the more loyal they are.
Contact center customer support needs to evolve to better serve customers who no longer rely on one venue for receiving information but instead engage multiple sources. In addition to checking a company's Web site and its brochures, many customers research information on products and services from social networking sources, such as blogs, and online user ratings. With customers now requiring more real-time support, it's essential to keep pace with their expectations and to respond to them in new ways."
Showing posts with label customer service;customer experience;customer loyalty. Show all posts
Showing posts with label customer service;customer experience;customer loyalty. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
Maintaining Customer Service and Loyalty During Cut Backs
By Darrell Zahorsky: About.com Guide to Small Business
The mantra of business this past year has been to reduce spending, cut staff and save money. One area to easily neglect during crisis management of during a recession is customer retention and loyalty. Yet, customer loyalty can ultimately save your business. With reduced staff and a greater focus on the bottom line, how can you build greater customer loyalty? Consider the following:
Find Touch Points:
Your business has a range of touch points during the entire sales process and customer service cycle. Determine the vital points of contact for your customer. Find what is most important to your target market through conversations and surveys. Is it after sales support or product selection help? Understanding your touch points can help increase loyalty.
Focus on Your Top Customers:
Not all customers are created equal. Sure, everybody is looking for a good deal during an economic slowdown but your most important customers will spend more, provide better profitability and have a greater propensity for loyalty. Put more of your customer service dollars into your best clients.
Re-invent the Customer Experience:
The ways you are servicing your customers may be costly and outdated. Employ technology to help customers find answers fast and reduce costs. For instance, your customers highly value the setup following the purchase of your product. While you lack the resources to have staff service this touch point, consider alternatives such as building an extensive FAQ section on your website or creating an online forum where your customers can help each other.
The mantra of business this past year has been to reduce spending, cut staff and save money. One area to easily neglect during crisis management of during a recession is customer retention and loyalty. Yet, customer loyalty can ultimately save your business. With reduced staff and a greater focus on the bottom line, how can you build greater customer loyalty? Consider the following:
Find Touch Points:
Your business has a range of touch points during the entire sales process and customer service cycle. Determine the vital points of contact for your customer. Find what is most important to your target market through conversations and surveys. Is it after sales support or product selection help? Understanding your touch points can help increase loyalty.
Focus on Your Top Customers:
Not all customers are created equal. Sure, everybody is looking for a good deal during an economic slowdown but your most important customers will spend more, provide better profitability and have a greater propensity for loyalty. Put more of your customer service dollars into your best clients.
Re-invent the Customer Experience:
The ways you are servicing your customers may be costly and outdated. Employ technology to help customers find answers fast and reduce costs. For instance, your customers highly value the setup following the purchase of your product. While you lack the resources to have staff service this touch point, consider alternatives such as building an extensive FAQ section on your website or creating an online forum where your customers can help each other.
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