Here are 14 interesting facts about customer service that every company ought to know.*
  1. A 5% reduction in the customer defection rate can increase profits by 5 – 95%. ( Bain & Company)
  2. It costs 6 – 7 times more to acquire a new customer than retain an existing one. (Bain & Company)
  3. A customer is 4 times more likely to defect to a competitor if the problem is service-related than price- or product-related. (Bain & Company)
  4. It was found that 68% of customers leave because they were upset with the treatment they received while speaking to customer services. (US Chamber of Commerce)
  5. The probability of selling to an existing customer is 60 – 70%. The probability of selling to a new prospect is 5-20%. (Marketing Metrics)
  6. For every customer complaint, there are 26 other unhappy customers who have remained silent. (Lee Resource)
  7. Studies show that 96% of unhappy customers don’t complain, however 91% of those will simply leave and never come back. (1st Financial Training services)
  8. A 2% increase in customer retention has the same effect as decreasing costs by 10%. (Leading on the Edge of Chaos, Emmet Murphy & Mark Murphy)
  9. Note – 72% of all customers believe it takes too long to reach a live agent. (Harris)
  10. Some 69% said they were on hold for too long. (Harris)
  11. It was found that 50% of the people surveyed said that agents failed to answer their questions. (Harris)
  12. More results of surveys – 44% said the information they received was not accurate. (Harris)
  13. About 92% of all interactions happen via the phone. (Gartner)
  14. One group found that 85% of consumers are dissatisfied with their phone experience. (Gartner)
What can we learn from this?

Make outstanding customer service your No. 1 priority. Have a great product or service that consistently does what it claims to do and when it falls short, do everything you can to might it right. Seek input from your users and give them a forum to voice opinions – and listen carefully.

We all know that it takes more energy to get new customers, than it does to keep old ones. But, in reality, both are important. They are the reason we’re in business.

The blue ribbon companies have excellent customer service written into their missions statements and from day one, instill this philosophy in their employees. From janitor to receptionist to call center worker to manager to the CEO, it is everyone’s business to provide the best customer care possible – and keep improving it.

So, how do you teach everyone to put the customer first? It involves people at the top walking the talk, targeted training at all levels, soliciting input and feedback from customers, really listening to what customers are saying, and changing your methods when it’s warranted.

Let’s look at some training that has worked well for other companies:

Understanding The Customer

Knock ‘Em Dead Customer Service – How To Get It And How To Maintain It

How To Handle Complaints

Managing Emotions Under Pressure

Effective Listening Skills

Developing Empathy And Building Trust

Best Practice Customer Service – Learning From Top-Ranking Companies

Relationship Building

Managing Customer Service

Training For Call Centers

Script Writing For Help Desk Workers

Telephone Etiquette

E-mail Etiquette

Getting Customer Feedback

Let us know how SyN can improve your customer service. Join the blue ribbon organizations whose customers come back again and again and watch your profits soar.
*”50 Facts About Customer Experience”, by James Digby, in Return On Behavior Magazine,http://returnonbehavior.com/2010/10/50-facts-about-customer-experience-for-2011/