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What are the characteristics of especially bad customer service?

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Posted by Your Guide on October 13, 2005 12:11 PM

Most seasoned customers can remember at least one example of horrendous customer service. A survey by A.T. Kearney, Ltd., reported that approximately eighty percent of customers don’t feel they get the service they expect. One or two rude employees can ruin a customer’s view of an entire company, so it is important that everyone on your team understands the importance of eliminating bad customer service.

The most common form of bad customer service is rudeness. Rudeness often appears in an employee’s tone or words, but in comes in many other forms as well—everything from interrupting a customer to facial expressions and body language to leaving a customer stranded. Even if you are having a bad day, try not to take it out on the customer. Remember, you are there to serve the customer, so don’t act put out by customer requests for help. The customer is doing your company a favor by offering it business, so be considerate of him.

One of the most common customer service complaints revolves around an employee’s failure to correct an individual’s specific concern. In other words, employees give standard answers without really asking for or understanding a customer’s real needs. Instead, employees should ask the customer, “What exactly do you want?” If you understand exactly what a customer wants, you can better meet his needs and he will leave satisfied.

There are many types of bad customer service, but in general, they all stem from a failure to put customer needs first. Instead, an employee puts their own convenience or the company’s profits above the customer’s needs.



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