Customers are the lifeline of any business. If your customers aren’t happy, your business won’t be much of a success. One of the most effective ways to improve customer satisfaction and experience is to put a heavy emphasis on revamping your customer service.
But how do you know that your customer service needs to be improved? Here are 5 telltale signs that you’re providing a lackluster customer experience, which is, in turn, impacting the overall success of your company.
1. Customers Don’t Return
Getting new customers into your store is a huge feat, but what’s even more important is getting them to return. According to Marketing Tech Blog, repeat customers are worth up to ten times as much as their first purchase. When you convince a customer that your business is worth buying from, they make purchases more often, which means that they have a much bigger impact on your sales numbers and overall company profit.
The bottom line is that customer retention is crucial. In fact, Bain & Co found that a 5% increase in customer retention can increase profitability by up to 75%. So how can you convince more customers to return after their first purchase? A few options include:
- Quickly resolving issues
- Keeping in touch and engaging often (email marketing, social media marketing, etc.)
- Thanking customers for choosing your brand
- Rewarding loyalty
By focusing on ways to retain customers, you’ll automatically improve your company’s customer service. The more satisfied your customer is, the less likely it is that they’ll choose a competing business to shop at.
2. There’s Very Little Customer Engagement
Not all customers are looking for engagement during their shopping trip. Some customers know exactly what they need and are in and out of the store in a few minutes. But on the other hand, there are first-time customers as well as customers who are visiting to make a huge shopping haul.
A tell-tale sign that your customer service needs to be improved is when there’s a lack of customer engagement, especially for those shoppers who are having issues locating an item or have a question. The best way to improve your customer service is to simply be available.
Be sure that sales representatives are placed throughout the store to help customers. Even having a rep at the front of the store greeting people coming in and out is a great step in the right direction.
If you want more beneficial customer engagement, consider using an ePOS system that offers mobile checkout. This allows your service reps to complete sales from anywhere in the store. This is a huge convenience for customers as they can quickly check out, versus having to wait in a long line.
3. Sales Numbers are Decreasing
The proof is in the numbers. Simply put, if your sales numbers are stagnant or decreasing, chances are that your customer service is partially to blame. When customers are unhappy with their shopping experience, they’re less likely to return. Dissatisfied customers are also less likely to recommend your brand to others, which means you’ll see a decrease in first-time shoppers.
If your business isn’t meeting its sales numbers, take a close look to see what may be contributing to the issue. Are you out of stock on your best selling items? Are customers complaining that their shopping experience was less than stellar? Are your items competitively priced?
While poor customer service may not be the only driving factor in your subpar sales numbers, odd’s are that it is having an impact.
4. Customers Say So
What’s the most obvious sign that your customer service needs some work? Customers say just that! We live in the age of online reviews and social media posts. If customers are saying that they didn’t enjoy shopping at your company, believe them that your customer service needs some improvements.
While it can be hard to swallow criticism and to turn it into something positive, that’s exactly what a successful company needs to do. Instead of pretending like the poor reviews don’t exist, or choosing to attack customers for their criticism, thank them for taking the time to share their opinions and then take action!
Keep a close eye on social media reviews as well as review sites like Yelp and Google My Business so that you can quickly and appropriately respond to positive and negative words about your business.
Conclusion
A company that lacks in the customer service department isn’t likely to meet its sales or customer retention goals. If your business is showing signs that it’s failing on the customer service front, now is the time to find ways to improve. The happier the customers are, the more successful your company will be.
