No Lines, No Waiting

Low Tolerance for Error When it Comes To Customer Retention

Nineteenth century British Prime Minister, Benjamin Disraeli once said, “Never complain, never explain.”  The sentiment may be hundreds of years old, but I witnessed a customer exercising that bit of wisdom just today.  I was sitting at a tire store, waiting with another customer to have winter tires put on my car.  The wait was ridiculous, and the other customer and I said as much to each other.  There was no communication from the company, no explanation as to why something they told us would take 20 minutes was now spilling into hour two.  After flipping through an outdated magazine for the third time, I watched as my silent companion walked to the desk, calmly asked for her keys, and left.

To my knowledge the customer lodged no complaint, and therefore the company had no opportunity to ensure her satisfaction.  However, there is no telling just how far reaching her dissatisfaction will be.

Frustrated customers go away.  People are busy, and they won’t hesitate to leave one service company to obtain the same type of service somewhere else.  Irate customers may vow never to return, and with the viral capabilities of social media, will most likely generously offer their opinions about their poor experience to others.

Current marketing data shows that customers are continually frustrated by time spent on routine customer service interactions.  In fact, sixty-one percent of people interviewed in one customer satisfaction study said they would choose one company over another based on the appointment scheduling process.

It’s no secret that in order to compete in today’s turbulent economy, companies must deliver top-notch, efficient, and convenient customer experiences.  Customers demand shorter wait times, and businesses must respond.

As mentioned in a previous blog post, below are a few options a company may consider for boosting customer satisfaction:

• Equip call centers with interactive voice response
• Entertain & educate customers waiting in line
• Send social media alerts to keep customers informed
• Utilize self-service checkouts
• Implement online appointment scheduling.

If my fellow tire customer had been able to schedule the automobile work from her desk, she may not have walked out without a word.  If alerts were sent to my blackberry as to the status of my vehicle, I might actually have good things to say about this company.  That’s a lot of ‘if’s’, folks.

Pamela Taylor & Lisa Letchworth
TimeTrade Blogging Team

Image credit: InMagine PCRF005548

Posted by TimeTrade Blogging Team