By Shelly Strom, for Liveops
Customers view the phone sales and service support they get from a product or brand as an essential part of the overall buying package. Just as they wouldn’t expect to buy high-end merchandise from a brick-and-mortar store that was dirty or disorganized, they expect a service quality on the phone that matches the image of the product they’re buying.
So if you’re selling $5 flip flops that won’t last past a season, you might be able to get away with lesser-quality service. That low quality, at least, matches the brand.
However, if you’re selling quality retail products or services—and particularly if you expect your customers to be repeat buyers—your customer service experience must be as finely tuned as your logo, packaging, and slick marketing materials.
The human touch makes up the majority of a customer’s impression—a McKinsey study reported that 70% of buying experiences are based on how a customer feels they are being treated.
“What’s regularly missing [from customer service interactions] is the spark between the customer and frontline staff members—the spark that helps transform wary or skeptical people into strong and committed brand followers,” the McKinsey study reported. “That spark and the emotionally driven behavior that creates it explain how great customer service companies earn trust and loyalty during “moments of truth” … when customers invest a high amount of emotional energy in the outcome.”
nd what should a brand experience look like for customer calls?
When we dug into this important aspect of customer service, we found five critical elements—and the ways that traditional call centers sometimes undermine the brand promise. Review these to see if your front-line phone agents are supporting or detracting from your brand. Read more.