Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, we can all admit that businesses worldwide faced various challenges to stay afloat.
Customer Service delivery has been in the frontline since March 2020.
I am a stickler for good customer service and have been acutely aware that some companies use the pandemic as an excuse for poor service delivery. Prior to 2020, we just got used to the fact that South African companies boasted some of the highest service delivery scores. According to the South African Customer Satisfaction Index (SA-csi), 2018/2019 results conducted by Consulta, 2020 results would give a different picture as businesses battled to uphold high customer satisfaction levels and growth due to an impending recession and uncertainty regarding the global pandemic.
Companies, now more than ever, will have to focus on the customer experience and delivering high levels of customer satisfaction.
Statistics taken from consumers in 2020 with regards to poor service delivery, found the following:
- Expanding customer retention rates by 5% increases profits by 25% to 95%.
- Customers who had an outstanding experience are three times more likely to repurchase and five times more likely to recommend a company than if they had an awful experience.
- 68% of customers believe the key to excellent customer service is a polite and well-informed Customer Service Representative.
- 89% of consumers switched to doing business with a competitor following a poor customer experience.
- 79% of consumers who complained directly to the company about poor customer experience had their complaints ignored.
We can all agree that the customer service landscape changed entirely in 2020. Nine out of ten consumers admitted that they are willing to pay more if they receive good service. 70% will continue to do business with a company who quickly resolves complaints. If a company developed a bad reputation, they may also lose some of their best employees. And let’s face it, employees talk.
With 2020 almost behind us, I hope to see an increase in exceptional service delivery in 2021.
I believe coming out of this pandemic will be a challenging process for some South African companies, but very rewarding in the long run for others who focusses on the overall customer experience.
