Poor customer service

Customer service is arguably the most important frontline of any company. It’s even more crucial than the brand, advertising, or the product itself. Here’s the problem with customer service: if you’ve been a customer, you’ve probably noticed a recurring pattern of the same behavior across different companies.

Now, think about this: if you have a product and there are 10 companies offering something similar, what you want is to be the best. Being the best means you’ll be ahead of the competition. If you’re doing the same things that are damaging your brand as every other company, the chances of your company losing to competitors will likely increase. It’s very simple. We buy a brand based on the emotional connection we have with it and how it makes us feel. There are variations, of course—like someone referring us to that brand, or buying it because our brother or cousin did—but ultimately, it’s about the emotional connection we have when we see that brand.

So, what can damage that brand? Often, it’s the customer service.

Let’s take an example: you have a credit card, and there’s an issue with it. You call customer service, go through the automated system, and sometimes these systems are overly complex—press 1 for this, press 2 for that, press 3 for something else. Most people understand this is common, and they’ll tolerate it, thinking, “Okay, I understand the need to get to the right department.” However, if the system becomes too complex, with too many questions, it starts to irritate customers or potential clients.

Next, they want to speak to a live agent. Another issue that could damage your brand is the lack of knowledge the agent has. No customer wants to be transferred from one department to another repeatedly. If they are transferred multiple times, it hurts your brand when the agents don’t communicate with each other, forcing the customer to explain their issue from the beginning each time. Now, imagine from the moment the customer picked up the phone to dial your company’s number, how many red flags they had to overcome before finally speaking with a live agent.

Once they do get in touch with a live agent, you’ll notice that many companies have agents who repeat the same scripted information over and over again. This is one of the biggest ways to damage your brand. If a customer or potential client is asking a question, they want an answer. The worst thing a company can do is to keep repeating the same limited, scripted information. This significantly damages the brand, and it’s a common issue in customer service. You’ve probably called a company and noticed this pattern.

If your company wants to stand out, all it needs to do is avoid what doesn’t work. Some companies have already understood this and have made their agents very knowledgeable, which is why those brands are among the top in their industry. But if your brand is doing the same old things and expecting different results, it’s not likely to happen.

Customer service is your frontline. If your agents say, “I don’t know,” or “I’m not sure,” and provide a poor experience, it will likely damage your brand. One of the worst things a company can have is an angry customer, and one frustrated, angry, and unpleasant customer experience is one too many. In today’s world, we don’t always know how connected an individual is—they could have a lot of followers, be connected to someone famous, etc. An unpleasant experience that goes viral can seriously hurt a company.

So, what’s the best approach? Ensure your customer service agents are knowledgeable, and don’t make customers wait too long or go through too many agents. Avoid or eliminate repeated, limited, scripted information. If a customer is asking a question, give them a different answer or find out the answer if it’s not immediately known. For example, if a customer says, “I bought this product, and it doesn’t work, what should I do?” the worst response an agent can give is, “I don’t know.” If a customer says, “I bought this laptop, and it has a scratch on it,” and the agent responds, “I’m sorry, our service is…” and then repeats the same information, it frustrates the customer.

If the customer has a negative experience, they might never buy the product again. As mentioned earlier, if that customer has a lot of connections, they might tell as many people as possible, causing your company to lose sales without even realizing it. That one agent’s behavior can do significant damage, and that’s just one person. Now, imagine if all your customer service agents behave this way with 100% of your clients. Over time—be it a month, week, or year—how much damage could they do?

Remember, the customer has no way of contacting the CEO to say, “The service is like this,” or “The computer says this, and I can’t do anything.” This lack of communication from top to bottom can frustrate the customer to the point where they leave and never buy that product again.

If you’re interested in exploring this subject further, consider joining MJ’s upcoming events, where these topics will be discussed in detail.

We welcome your thoughts and feedback in the comments section below. For one-on-one coaching, feel free to contact Milad Emjay