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Top 10 Customer Pet Peeves and How You Can Avoid Them

Top 10 Customer Pet Peeves and How You Can Avoid Them

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One out of three people are routinely disappointed by customer service interactions. Only 7% say their expectations are usually exceeded.1 Why does this matter? Customers are more likely to be loyal and will even pay a premium price to buy from a business with great customer service. They’re most likely to switch to another provider after being treated poorly. Here are ten common customer pet peeves—including some from our SUCCEED: Small Business community members—and how you can avoid them in your business. Double-check this list to make sure you are staying on your customers’ good side.

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Page 1: Top 10 Customer Pet Peeves and How You Can Avoid Them

Top 10 Customer Pet Peeves and How You Can Avoid Them

Page 2: Top 10 Customer Pet Peeves and How You Can Avoid Them

One out of three people are routinely disappointed by customer service interactions. Only 7% say their expectations are usually exceeded.1

Why does this matter? Customers are more likely to be loyal and will even pay a premium price to buy from a business with great customer service. They’re most likely to switch to another provider after being treated poorly.

1 http://about.americanexpress.com/news/docs/2012x/axp_2012gcsb_markets.pdf

Page 3: Top 10 Customer Pet Peeves and How You Can Avoid Them

one &two &three &four &five &six &seven &eight &nine &ten.

Here are 10 common customer pet peeves—including some from our SUCCEED: Small Business community members—and how you can avoid them in your business. Double-check this list to make sure you are staying on your customers’ good side.

Page 4: Top 10 Customer Pet Peeves and How You Can Avoid Them

01LyingNo one likes to be treated dishonestly—and your customers are no exception. Even fudging the facts unintentionally because you are in a hurry can come back to haunt you. Take time to anticipate what customers will ask and make sure everything you say is accurate.

Page 5: Top 10 Customer Pet Peeves and How You Can Avoid Them

02.Rude and Unhelpful Customer Service RepsA single interaction with an impatient and disrespectful representative can destroy a customer relationship. Here’s a real-world example that you can use to train your employees on how to make every customer interaction a positive experience:

Page 6: Top 10 Customer Pet Peeves and How You Can Avoid Them

For two years out of a 10-year career in customer service, I wrote down every time a customer thanked me for something specific. The top five words customers repeated in their thank you notes were help, patience, competence, niceness, and time.”Paula Kramer, ConsultantSmiles Spark Success, and SUCCEED Member

Page 7: Top 10 Customer Pet Peeves and How You Can Avoid Them

03. Slow Service and ShipmentsDo your service technicians have impaired punctuality? Does it seem like your products are shipped by pack mule? No wonder your customers feel frustrated.

To avoid unnecessary delays, systemize and automate your processes with appropriate

technology. Your business will be more organized and efficient. You’ll offer faster service

and be able to notify customers right away if there’s an unexpected delay.

Page 8: Top 10 Customer Pet Peeves and How You Can Avoid Them

My pet peeve is when the person on the other end of the phone is more engrossed in what is going on in their space instead of the conversation they are supposed to be having.”

Tamika Warner, Adjunct ProfessorLincoln College of New England, and SUCCEED Member

04. Lack of Focused Attention

Page 9: Top 10 Customer Pet Peeves and How You Can Avoid Them

If you can’t take a call without being interrupted, let it go to voice mail and call back as soon as you can do so in a quiet setting.

Page 10: Top 10 Customer Pet Peeves and How You Can Avoid Them

05. Poor Priorities“What I really hate is when you are at a store and the great people trying to help you are forced to answer the phones to answer a question from someone who may or may not ever come to the store.”

Jeff Fox, FounderDBSA Northridge, and SUCCEED Member

A customer in the store is worth two on the phone. Have someone who isn’t working the floor available to do phone duty.

Page 11: Top 10 Customer Pet Peeves and How You Can Avoid Them

06. Speakerphone Faux Pas

Unless your customer is expecting a conference call, he shouldn’t be on speaker. If you must use the speaker function, ask permission first. Otherwise, you can’t blame him for reacting poorly.

Page 12: Top 10 Customer Pet Peeves and How You Can Avoid Them

Whenever anyone puts me on speakerphone, I belt out a nice: ‘You’re listening to K E V—all Kevin, all the time. Go ahead, listener, you’re on the air!’ It usually leaves them speechless.” Kevin Hoult MBA, Business Advisor Services ManagerWestern Washington University’s SBDC, and SUCCEED Member

Page 13: Top 10 Customer Pet Peeves and How You Can Avoid Them

07. Reading the SlidesIf you’re putting on a presentation—whether on behalf of your clients or to your clients—don’t do this:

“My pet peeve is speakers who read the slides. I don’t mind so much that someone turns to refer to a slide as long as they don’t do it too often, but saying the exact same words for the whole dang thing bores me spitless.”

Shawn Greene, Prospecting and Sales Performance Expert, SUCCEED Member

To avoid using slides as a crutch, prepare your presentation without slides first.

Page 14: Top 10 Customer Pet Peeves and How You Can Avoid Them

08. Mumbling & Talking Too Fast

What’s the point of having an office phone number if customers can’t understand you?

“Don’t mumble! Please, please, PLEASE...just slow down your speech and let the person you’re greeting absorb what you’re saying when you answer the phone!”

Linda Feinholz, Business Breakthrough Expert, SUCCEED Member

Page 15: Top 10 Customer Pet Peeves and How You Can Avoid Them

08. Unintelligible Speechon the PhoneIf you find yourself speeding through a phone

greeting, edit it to be shorter. Take a deep breath before you answer the phone so you don’t accidentally sound rushed.

Page 16: Top 10 Customer Pet Peeves and How You Can Avoid Them

I hate it when they use the ‘B’ word, and no, not that one! BUSY. Never tell the client you are busy. It implies they are not important. You’re busy? OK, I’ll find someone who thinks my business is worth the time to ‘un-busy’ themselves to talk with me!” Shirley Dawson, Nursing Administrative Assistant Hampstead Hospital, and SUCCEED Member

09. Overly Busy Business Owners

Page 17: Top 10 Customer Pet Peeves and How You Can Avoid Them

Postpone a conversation more politely:

“I have one more commitment to fulfill today, but I want to take care of you ASAP. Can we meet at 4 p.m.?”

Page 18: Top 10 Customer Pet Peeves and How You Can Avoid Them

“When I call about an issue, I hate when the people on the phone are overly apologetic. I am not looking for an apology. I am looking to rectify a problem. One apology is enough. And really, you do not know how I am feeling. So do not think you do.”David Silverman, Food and Beverages Professional, SUCCEED Member

Don’t pretend to be sorry and think this will make customers happy. Fix the problem. Actions speak louder than words.

10. Fake Sincerity

Page 19: Top 10 Customer Pet Peeves and How You Can Avoid Them

You should spend as much energy on nurturing customer relationships as you do on making sure you have a good product.

Advice InspirationAction

Engage a “mystery shopper” to give you feedback and a fresh perspective on what it’s really like to interact with your company.

“You’ll never have a product or price advantage again.They can be easily duplicated, but a strong customer service culture can’t be copied.” Jerry Fritz

Page 20: Top 10 Customer Pet Peeves and How You Can Avoid Them

In the end, it really is customer service that helps you make more happen.

Visit our SUCCEED: Small Business Network to share your suggestions for ways businesses can improve their customer service.

Share this SlideShare with a fellow small business owner.

Page 21: Top 10 Customer Pet Peeves and How You Can Avoid Them