Good customer service – it’s a no-brainer

‘The customer is always right’ is a phrase used frequently used in business, showing the importance of those who are paying for a service. But where does the fault lie if a client isn’t happy?

New research published by the Institute of Customer Service (ICS) revealed that fewer customers are having problems with bad service than four years ago, falling from 17% in January 2008 to 11.7% in July 2012.

However in this time, the number of customers going on to complain has risen from 72% to 76%, suggesting difficulties still exist.

The fault: product or staff?

Complaints generally come down to one of two issues: how customers are treated by staff members or the quality of the product. Sometimes both.

ICS’s research showed that staff attitude was rated as a 8.5 out of ten on a scale of frustration for clients, with staff competence scoring 8.4. Firms not keeping the promises they first introduced scored 8.8.

This suggests problems do not exist with the product but with those delivering it and problem-solving after, indicating that investment in customer service could be a good idea.

Complaints need immediate response

Jo Causon, chief executive of ICS, said that a swift retort to a problem could be the difference between short and long-term damage.

“As a result, organisations need to ensure that all customer contacts are handled consistently well, and that customers are not passed from pillar to post,” she explained.

“The type of complaint and satisfaction with complaint handling varies significantly by sector. It’s particularly important for organisations in sectors where there tends to be a high proportion of complaints about staff competence or staff attitude to benchmark their complaint handling performance and support employees in anticipating and dealing with complaints.”

Firms should ensure employee morale is high, therefore reducing the risk of a negative response from staff, while social media can also be a good way of managing negative feedback.