As e-commerce websites remain the obvious choice for purchasing almost anything, customer service has become more important than ever. Studies have shown that 66 percent of customers will spend more money with companies that provide quality customer service. In addition, 60 percent of customers have abandoned transactions because of a bad experience. In a world of online shopping uncertainty, customers need to be reassured and assisted by representatives that are present, helpful, and human.
Some customers are so desperate for a human response that they have taken to social media for their customer service needs. In fact, nearly one-third of US consumers are likely to use Facebook for customer service needs while Twitter and Youtube combine for 25 percent of all queries. Unfortunately for some companies, this volume of requests combined with the inherently suspect nature of social media creates a perfect storm of unanswered problems and frustrated customers. This has prompted nearly 50 percent of US consumers to stop or lessen their contact with customer service through social media in the last year.
“But how much does poor customer service really affect the bottom line?” A lot. Between abandoned transactions and limited spending, companies that don’t keep customers happy are leaving approximately $83 billion in revenue on the table. Plus, negative reviews are weighted 12 to 1 against positive reviews. So, if you are in a hole now, getting back on your customers’ good sides might prove much more difficult than you think.
