Poor customer care after the sale has been completed can have a negative impact on a business. It can lead to unhappiness and a diminished likelihood of repeat business and referrals.
Clearly, these are negative consequences that business owners and managers alike may want to avoid. In most cases, the service that customers receive after the sale will be through a customer support call center group. By identifying some of the most irritating experiences customers can have with call centers, business managers and owners can make necessary improvements.
Placed on Hold for a Long Time
One of the most irritating experiences that people may have when calling for support relates to being placed on hold for a long time. There are different variations of this that may be experienced. For example, being transferred around from person to person without receiving help, being placed on hold for dozens of minutes without being able to speak to a single person or being placed on hold repeatedly by the same person all can be irritating forms of this complaint.
When the Issue is Not Resolved
When customers call a business for support and help, they expect the issue to be resolved. More than that, they expect it to be resolved quickly and to their satisfaction. The last thing they want is to be told that they have to call back or wait for someone else to call them. While this may be unavoidable in some situations, there should be a general goal of resolving issues with one phone call.
When the Resolution is Not Ideal
Another complaint relates to resolutions not being satisfactory or ideal for customers. For example, a customer may be told that they need to ship their equipment back to the company before new equipment can be mailed out to them. This can be inconvenient, time-consumer and burdensome for the customer. Identifying the best resolution for the customer and doing what it takes to achieve that goal is preferred. If the resolution is not ideal, the business owner or manager may consider providing some incentive to compensate the customer for their inconvenience.
Ultimately, customer care should be fast, friendly and helpful. The support staff should listen attentively to the customers and should attempt to identify what a proper and suitable resolution would be for the customer. More than that, the business should have a support group structure that enables calls to be answered quickly and that empowers those who answer the phone to have the training and ability to address most needs without having to transfer customers. While improving an internal call center environment is one way to better serve customers’ needs, another idea is to outsource this department to a third party that specializes in call center activities.