Are These Customer Service Beliefs True or Just Myths?

Customer Service is one of the most important components of a business today. For any business owner or manager, there is always the concern on whether your team is offering great service to your customers.

Customer Service is the process of advising and helping customers with their inquiries before, during and after making a purchase. In this regard, the most important players here are of course the customer but also your employees.

Employees play a key role because they are at the forefront assisting the customer. In case their service is disappointing, then there is a possibility that your competitor may take your business.

When it comes to customer service, a majority of businesses in Kenya have operated under the guidance of traditional practices but over time, these standards have evolved. These practices will often dictate the success of your business.

Some of the myths that businesses have held on to have been beneficial, however, we have observed customer trends change gradually hence discrediting some of these myths because they are no longer applicable to the modern customer.

Which then begs the question…

Are some of the beliefs we have been observing in regards to customer service, true or just Myths?

Let Us Debunk 9 Popular Myths in Customer Service

The Customer Is Always Right

This is the most famous phrase in customer service that has been taught to customer service representatives for ages.

And while this motto puts the satisfaction of the customer first, it may not appeal to the employees who may have to bend to the customers’ requests even when they are wrong.

While it is important to cater and meet the needs of the customers, the truth is that customers can sometimes be wrong and if you keep indulging them, it may seem that you accept their misconduct, which may demotivate employees who are now forced to bend to the customer’s wishes.

Denying your employees, the chance to assess a situation and apply reason means that there will be situations where the employees will always be wrong despite the circumstances. This further demotivates employees who may then offer poor service.

With time, the motto has helped avert a situation where a customer and an agent could argue about who is on the wrong. Instead, have the team trained on customer service skills among them, showing empathy which validates the customer’s feelings.

The agent can then move on to offering a solution or compensation to the customer, while treating the customer with respect as they offer high standards of service.

It is important to treat your employees in high regard as you treat your customers. Customer service agents need to be empowered to make decisions as they serve the customers as long as they are respecting the organization’s code of conduct.

Put your people first, so they can put your customers first.

No Customer Complaints Means Everything is Okay

The absence of customer complaints does not denote great service from your end as a brand.

When you have customers calling in to complain or make inquiries about your product or service, it means there are people out there still using your product/ service and are still interested in using it.

However, when the calls or emails are not coming through, it means you probably have unhappy customers who may have moved to your competitors and may be speaking to their contacts about the bad service they experienced.

It may also be an indication that there is something wrong with your product/ service which you are unaware of and won’t know how to fix it. After getting unsatisfactory service, some customers may not even bother to report unless as a business, you request for feedback.

It is therefore important for a business to seek out a customer after they make a purchase in order to determine their satisfaction levels. With the feedback received, a business will get to know what is working and what is not; and make the necessary improvements.

Customer Service is a Cost Center

Customer service is generally not directly linked to income generating activities of a business and therefore many business owners find it difficult to make significant investments in customer service. However, customer service can be a revenue driver.

Customer service agents find themselves at a very prime position because unlike a sales call, the customer has reached out to them and the customer service representative has an opportunity to cross-sell or upsell the organization’s products/services.

Customer service is your new marketing tool. Upon solving a customer’s issue or answering their queries, customer service agents can recommend either a high value product/service that could add more value to the needs of the customer or one that compliments the original purchase.

We are aware that potential customers will most likely go check out what your current customers are saying about your brand. In order to grow a brand and cement the confidence of potential customers, agents can use the opportunity to persuade a content customer to put up a positive review.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) will Replace Customer Service Agents

Are the robots here to take over the world? AI is definitely creating some notable changes in the way we have traditionally been operating.

We have seen an increase in the uptake of automation of certain customer service roles over the last few years. Major organizations have implemented chatbots to compliment customer service interactions mainly for the repetitive, non-complex issues.

This therefore means the customer service agents get to handle multiple tasks, becoming more productive because they are not bogged down with requests that are now handled by bots and they can then offer their attention to complicated cases that actually require human intervention.

Customers are More Interested in Low Prices Than Customer Service

It really does not matter if you have the lowest priced product or service; poor customer service will drive away your existing and potential customers. And even though customers appreciate a good bargain, they are not ready to compromise when it comes to bad customer service.

Studies have shown that customers are more than willing to pay more for a great customer experience. Gone are the days, businesses could get away with just a good product or service, the customer today is ready to pay extra if they feel valued and get excellent service.

Satisfied Customers Equals Loyal Customers

Customer loyalty is invaluable for a business however not all satisfied customers will stay faithful to a brand. Satisfied customers keep coming back only if they don’t experience better services from similar brands.

It is therefore important for businesses to ensure consistent delivery of service at each customer touchpoint. This is because customer experience determines how customers stay loyal to your brand.

In order to stay ahead of the competition, it is imperative to not only satisfy your customer needs but work towards exceeding their expectations.

A satisfied customer may not necessarily become repeat customers however, by consistently offering memorable customer experiences, you may earn your business a loyal customer. Remember customers stay loyal based on their previous experiences.

Customer Service is Not a Necessary Department

Some companies do not have a customer service department and they don’t see the need. This is a myth, as in today’s competitive business world, customer service and the overall customer experience is a big differentiator.

Customers are no longer just buying products and services, they are looking and willing to pay for a good experience and convenience.

Therefore, every business should invest in a customer service department.

Customer Service is Only Important for External Customers

Customer service is important for both external and internal customers. Offering exceptional service to internal customers, that is employees, vendors etc. can lead to better collaboration, increased productivity and a positive company culture. This automatically spreads to the external customer.

unfortunately, the reverse is true. A bad internal customer service culture extends to external customers as well.

The More Personalization the Better

Every business is trying to improve and offer the best experience to its customers and personalization has been highly adopted as one of the ways to achieve this.

Giving customer representatives access to customer profiles and previous communications enables them to offer a more personalized service; anticipating the customers’ needs as well as recommending a product that they know the customer will appreciate.

However, this only works if this is something your customers need and value. If done wrongly, this could end up hurting your business because it would be an infringement to your customer’s privacy.

In Kenya for instance we have seen cases such as; addressing a customer by their name and they have never interacted with you, it raises the question – “How did you get their information?”

There is also the informal addressing of the client – we have seen those Instagram messages from sellers calling you “Dear” and the excessive use of emojis.

While this is an approach towards personalization, we have to ensure the customer desires and will appreciate such kind of interaction.

In conclusion, it is important to note that,

Customer service has gradually evolved over time and as much as you may be an experienced customer service agent, who has been in the industry for a long period of time, there is always something new to learn and adopt.

Some of these myths have been told over and over and practiced for a long period of time that sometimes it may not be easy to tell what is myth and what is fact. It may be time to unlearn what we thought to be true so that we apply practices that eventually benefit the business.

Businesses that don’t keep up with the changes will struggle to stay afloat in this ever-changing industry.

It is therefore important for business owners to keep abreast with what is currently taking place in the industry so that the business can deliver efficiently to the customers and become lucrative.

Jackie

Over the last 16 years, Jackie has built a remarkable career in Customer Service in different capacities and industries.

As a Customer Experience Trainer, her mission is focused on helping businesses make more and retain more customers through unrivalled Customer Experience.

She has an in-depth CX understanding that stems from personal experiences, learning & research all fueled by my passion and commitment to see customers happy and organizations thriving.

She is the Co-founder, CEO, and Senior Consultant at Customer Centric Kenya, the consulting and training firm of choice.

Her tailor-made training-approach has been a key strength. The companies she has worked with have appreciated some key aspects:

→ The well-researched and packaged modules.
→ The depth of training and tailoring.
→ The applicability and follow up.

If You Want to Stay Current with The Latest Customer Service Insights, News, Trends and Predictions, Join her Newsletter.

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To Book or Get More Information on Training write to us:

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