High expectations of customer service
In times of online comparison portals and social media, consumers are much better informed about companies and their value propositions, and the demands are correspondingly high. It only takes a few clicks to find out which product is available at which price. The decisive factor in choosing between product A or B is ultimately the service offered.
The favorite brand must perform
According to a recent study by Freshworks, 50 percent of Germans have higher expectations of the support they receive from their favorite brand compared to others. The best recent customer experience is seen as a personal benchmark for future communication between brand and consumer. Poor service is even a reason for 41 percent to avoid the brand altogether. Not only that: 60 percent of customers worldwide share bad experiences with others, either in person or online. Companies therefore not only risk losses through poor service - potential new business is also at risk.
Broad-based support
To counteract losses, more and more companies are offering multichannel support. Customers first obtain information on an FAQ page. If that doesn't help, they can reach a contact person via telephone, email, chat, apps or messenger services. They are free to choose how and where they seek personal contact. The correct training of service employees is also a knockout criterion: How do they deal with annoyed callers? To what extent are they free to accommodate angry customers with discounts or vouchers? Do they store the preferences of individual customers so that they can refer back to them in later conversations? Because no matter at which point in the customer journey: "The customer is and remains king."
