October, 21 2019 3:29 pm
As summer simmers down and makes way for autumn’s cozier climes, it is easy to become complacent in the things we do every day. This is why many people gain weight in the fall and during the holiday season, since things like diets and exercise regimens fall by the wayside in favor of comfort.
It is easy, too, to forget to focus on things at work. Many companies experience a dip in business during the weeks that slide from summer into fall. Relief typically comes in the form of holiday sales, but for some companies, this is too little, too late.
Don’t want to be one of these companies? As a customer service agency, you certainly aren’t immune to it. Here are a few tips and tricks to avoid joining the ranks of the autumnal slump - all while keeping your customers comfortable and satisfied this season.
Before you can maintain your customer satisfaction levels, you first have to know what they are. It is important to know both your typical range of customer satisfaction rantings and your current level, so you can determine if you are trending ever-upward or if your company rides a fluctuating wave. (This can also help you understand small declines as part of an overall trend rather than a major cause for alarm.)
Today’s most successful brands determine their customer satisfaction levels in many ways. The metrics and methods they use to glen this information may vary, but in the end, the data is relatively consistent. Of the consumers you serve, how many are satisfied with your service and to what degree? That’s what you’re trying to discern.
Some of the most important metrics for measuring customer satisfaction levels include the CSAT, NPS, CES, abandonment rate, and repeat purchase intention. Each contributes its own valuable information when it comes to understanding how pleased customers are with the service you are providing them.
The CSAT - or customer satisfaction score - allows the consumer to express pleasure or displeasure with their experience in an easy-to-use, five-point rating system. This makes it easy to collect data and simple for consumers to share their concerns or delight with products or experiences.
The NPS - or net promoter score - is slightly different, in that it asks consumers how likely they would be to recommend the product or service to someone else or “promote” it. Since this kind of advertisement is important to brands of all types, your NPS is important in understanding how well your company is being received by consumers. Scores of six and below are considered negative, while 9-10 are considered positive. 7 and 8 are “passive”, meaning that these people are not likely to be displeased, but also not likely to be pleased enough to share positive information about your brand.
The CES - also known as the customer effort score - measures the effort that a customer had to put into interacting with a brand. In today’s busy, technology-driven world, the lowers your CES rating, the higher your customer’s satisfaction levels are likely to be.
Abandonment rates refer to the rate at which consumers abandon calls placed to a company, usually in search of customer service or support. These abandoned calls can be from frustration or annoyance on the part of the consumer and can lead to lower customer satisfaction ratings, so higher abandonment rates are a definite red flag for businesses.
Repeat purchase intention is just what it sounds like - the intention of a consumer who has already patronized your business to do so again. This is an important metric because it is much easier to please and retain current customers than convince and convert new ones. Higher repeat purchase intention ratings are directly linked with higher customer satisfaction levels.
There are many reasons why customer satisfaction levels drop. Pinpointing why yours might be doing so is a matter of understanding what might be going through the minds of your consumers.
Are you primarily serving students? The fall is a busy season in which their calendars are full of academic, artistic, and athletic obligations. They may not have the time or money to patronize your business the way they once did. This is especially true if your audience is primarily college students, who are already heavily financially burdened during this time year.
Other demographics also rein in their spending during the fall. Parents of students, teachers, professionals looking to cut costs as the year progresses, and even everyday people hoping to curb spending before the holiday splurge. This can majorly impact the bottom line of businesses - and the tightened purse strings can lead to feelings of frustration that your consumers pass along to you through low customer satisfaction ratings.
Even if you are a customer service agency, fewer purchases of your partner company’s product will mean fewer calls for help on your end, leaving you with less margin for error - and a higher likelihood of low customer satisfaction.
To prevent your facility from falling victim to the annual autumnal slump in customer satisfaction levels, consider beefing up your agent training. Train toward goals of dealing with difficult customers on the phone and providing superior customer service. Remember, your callers may be frustrated at their own financial situation or overloaded schedules right now; you can be part of the solution, rather than part of the problem for them.
It is also important to ensure that your facility has the right tools and technology to meet the needs of both your agents and the consumers you are serving. To keep things efficient and keep your consumers satisfied with your service, contact the industry experts at ChaseData. We have everything you need to make your operation as productive as possible - and keep your customers happy all year long!