Customers have spoken about who gives better Customer Service – big or small companies. Read on to find out who the winner is and why.
More than 80% of customers in The American Express Global Customer Service Barometer survey agree smaller companies put a greater emphasis on customer service than larger businesses.
So more people may like the offerings of the big-name cable company and call it, but most of them would prefer the local cable co-op’s Customer Service.
What can any contact center learn from the little guys? Try these ideas:
- Make connections. Customers like smaller companies because they often know people who work there. Try to assign agents to work with a certain group of customers to build relationships over time.
- Be flexible. Mom-and-pop shops write their own rules, so customers never feel constrained by policies. Assess your policies and regularly get rid of those that get in the way of agents helping customers quickly.
- Make recommendations. Because small companies often can’t provide everything, their employees will tell customers where to find what they don’t have. Be ready to tell customers where else to get what they need. Don’t worry – they’ll come back for honest service.
