When, as a marketer or business owner, was the last time you hugged your Customer Service rep? Well, barring serious action by HR, you should.
In any marketing operation, the Customer Service Department is an essential element to overall success.
In addition to being the front lines of your customer engagement, customer response, and customer retention, they are also the sources of your stories, the gurus of buyer persona, and the compass by which your marketing department can create new, targeted content, better engagement, and deeper trust.
Customer service should always be considered an integral part of any marketing strategy; it is the experience your customers will have after they are drawn in. What they see, what they hear, and and what they read (all the fun and exciting content) are all excellent tools to get them interested.
But without excellent customer service to guide them, they won’t stay. More importantly, they won’t spend.
Now, maybe you’re thinking “This sounds a little too much like an opinion. Maybe he’s a little biased here.” Possibly, but let’s take a look at some of the numbers.
- 83% of consumers say they NEED some kind of customer support when making an online purchase
- 82% of people say the #1 ingredient for “great customer service” comes from a quick resolution to their issue.
- 70% of consumers will do business with you again if you listen to them, engage with them, and act quickly on their behalf
- 2% increase in customer retention = 10% cutting of costs!
- 62% of organizations view customer experience, provided by their contact centers, as a competitive differentiator
Are you looking at your Customer Service reps in a new light now? Great! Now, what kind of change will you make to help your customer service serve your business?
