Top 10 Reasons Why Your Customer Service Fails

It’s no secret that when the time comes to evaluate your customer service, the finger pointing begins – and all fingers point suspiciously somewhere else. Let’s be courageous and look at the Top 10 reasons why customer service fails:

1. You’re doing all the talking – my grandmother used to say: “we have two ears and one mouth for a reason. They are meant to be used proportionally.”
      
2. You are not doing anything about it – you don’t follow through with the feedback you request.
      
3. Your customer service reps don’t have the power to help – you are putting the most junior and least supported staff up front.
      
4. You have no idea of the cost to you of losing customers – if you were paying attention, you would know that good service means you retain more customers. Acquiring new customers costs more.
      
5. You see customer service as a cost, not a benefit – when you look at your department as overhead, you tend to under fund it and under staff it.
      
6. You are not keeping your brand promises – it does you no good to spend millions in advertising when customers find you difficult to deal with. A good experience is one of the best investments in your brand.
      
7. Your product needs help, start there – it is quite natural to think that your baby: your product or service is the best. Well, it may not be and that’s where you need to start helping customers, by providing a better one.
      
8. You did not notice the problem, so you’re behind on fixing it – this is how crisis get started.
      
9. You don’t have customer service – nobody is assigned to it, nobody owns it.
      
10. You don’t listen to your customer service reps – they know what’s going on and they would tell you.

[reposted from FC Expert blogs]

Comments

[Csalomonlee]

Point 7 is so true. Sometimes we eat our own dogfood and forget to see it from the customer's perspective. If all companies produced the best and most innovative products, services, and solutions, then we would never have battery explosions, software crashes during critical times and product recalls left and right.

[zoe]

ugh...every point is so true! number one gets me most frustrated. when I consistently get interrupted by a Cust. Serv. Rep. I say, "excuse me, my lips are still moving. that means i'm still talking."

z

[David Badash]

All excellent points. I would add these two, which tie-in with the ten above, but need to be stated specifically:
11. You are not hiring the right people, you are not training them to understand your culture and goals.
12. Sadly, you just don't care.

Excellent post. Perhaps you could re-format it into a checklist, and we can print it off and send it to companies when they need a heads-up!
Thanks!

[Ricardo Bueno]

This should be printed and posted in front of everyone's desk!

After all it's the customer service that's going to make or break your referral business!

Take for example my experience with mac. My batter swelled up (that was weird). I contacted apple via email and phone and within literally 5 minutes, they sent a confirmation that one was being shipped to me. 5 days later, much to my surprise, I had a replacement battery! I've now become an apple salesman without the commissions.

[Valeria Maltoni]

@Cece - that's such a concrete way of putting it! On the other hand, we could not expect an absolute like 'never'. Mistakes do happen. It's how we deal with them that makes a difference.

@Zoe - it's easy to slip into auto pilot, especially when doing a 'routine' job. Plus if there is a script that someone needs to hit as part of their training, they will want to get it in there.

@David - good extensions. They may also fit under viewing customer service as a cost and not an investment.

@Ricardo - I, too have been impressed by Apple - they do what they say they are going to do. That's keeping a brand's promise. I wrote about their customer services on numerous occasions here.

[Peter]

I still think there is merit at pointing the figure - customer service also fails because customers are human.

Whilst the failings of the species are pretty well documented they seem largely ignored when one is holding a dollar.

What's more, I know from my experience that I check the excesses (flaws) of my character less as a consumer than in my private life.

I suspect our humanness means there is failed consumption as there is failed service.

[Mariana Sarceda]

Excellent Post!!!

I would add that you are not hiring the right people on the front line with the client. Or maybe they are the right people but just get the wrong instructions from their employers. Customer reps should concentrate on providing a service to the client, not just in disposing them away as fast as they can just because there's somebody else in the queue.

[Kevin Coughlan]

I've just called in on the branch of a very large car hire chain. No other customers - current or potential - in view.

Me: 'Could you please give me a brochure or print-out of your current rates across different models? As a business just a few doors away, we might need to hire cars at short notice'

Salesman: 'No we can't because they change from day to day, hour to hour even. I can give you a quote now but it's better if you go on to our website.'

Me: 'I just want some indicative costs.'

Salesman's manager: 'No we can't do that.'

Me: 'Goodbye' (for ever).

[Valeria Maltoni]

@Peter - what you say is quite verifiable. At the same time, many companies totally under serve this critical aspect of their business; the simply do not see it as a strategic component.

@Mariana - valid point. It often depends on how individuals are evaluated and compensated. It happens with sales groups and marketing and abut any other group in th organization. Customer service is much more visible to us.

@Kevin - I've written about car rental companies, too. Your story is interesting. It looks like the company did not want to commit and potentially lose a penny or two - so they lost the whole (potential) account/relationship. Fascinating.

[Harry Hoover]

Amen to all points. We should call it "customer disservice" because that's what it is in so many companies.

[Sowmia Gopinathan]

very nice,indeed to the point writeup,would like to add one more thing, --the ownership of responsibilities-- as though onw's own.
I remember a case of an banking account where because of a goof up by someother service rep(service charges),i had to face the music from the client. i personally beared the expense of reversal of the charges as the approval was not given,and i still get calls from that customer,plus he would never ever think of anyone else for banking business than my company..
Going beyong the limits also counts..as this differentiates 'you' from everyone else..

[JoAnna Brandi]

Great points - and I so appreciate the ones Zoe added, and I'll add one more.
You're not crafting the culture in such away that delivering intangibles (yeah, the touchy feely stuff) to both customers and employees is a priority.

When service becomes strategic priority then these things change. As long as it does not get enough attention from the "top" - no matter what the size of the organization - it won't get the right amount of attention at the point of contact. In too many organizations it's more important to please the boss (or NOT make waves) than it is to please the customer. Too bad for those that feel that way. Really good for those who are smart enough to see the opportunity.

[Valeria Maltoni]

@Harry - It's the rare occasion when one is eager to make a customer service call these days, alas. Whoever cracks that code though can do really well.

@Sowmia - that was a demonstration of leadership on your part. Your employer should recognize that and hold on to you. People buy from people.

@JoAnna - what a great surname for someone who coaches on customer care. There is plenty of opportunity in so many areas beyond customer service, too. Moments of most change are the moments of greatest opportunity for those ready to roll up their sleeves and walk the talk.

[LieDharma]

Thanks Valeria for spotting this points excellently to me who isn't quite often involved with CS roles.

When I tried to fix my notebook, it took almost 2 weeks (you know what notebook for us). I decided to pick the notebook myself, when asking about "why it took so long", the front desk (customer service) tried to explain their company policy, about lead time, blah blah... which I was not persuaded at all, who care about their company policy. I been holding my life on my neck since 2 weeks ago. She didn't even bother to hear me.

A few days later, I sent an e-mail to the CEO, I said I didn't expect to get explanation about his policy. I needed a solution for my notebook. I would be happy just if I was offered a solution (and a little apology word probably).

Valeria, I hope customer service would learn to be actively listening and offering solution to a customer.

Again, congratulation! excellent post!

Thanks,
Lie

[oddpodz]

Great post. We are in an 'entrepreneurial environment' and have done our best to listen to feedback and not take it personally. Having been on the front lines (since our team is small) it is easy for us to make decisions and resolve problems for an unsatisfied customer. As we grow, we want to make sure that our consumer service team has the power to make decisions and that they listen. We will also continue to answer calls and emails from our customers. We've actually made a few new friends that way!

[Valeria Maltoni]

@LieDharma - listening and getting to "yes" are two increasingly important qualities in human interactions, not just customer service. Imagine what we could do if we did not have to escalate issues.

@Jocelyn - big kudos on your new site and service. What I have seen so far looks engaging and friendly. The issue of scalability is quite common, as is getting used to what may have worked in the past. Keep up the good work and keep remembering who you are and what you are accomplishing with your customers.