It’s safe to say that the vast majority of business owners do not set out to deliberately annoy their customers. You understand that happy clients are necessary to succeed, and you really do want every customer who calls in, places an order or comes to your brick and mortar store to have a positive experience.
Unfortunately, whether you mean to or not, there may be a few things that your company is doing that is irritating your customers — in some cases, so much so that they may go elsewhere. By understanding what some of the most common annoyances are, you will go a long way in eliminating them.
A Website that is a Hot Mess
Much like unclean tables, spotty silverware and a messy kitchen can turn off even the hungriest diner in a restaurant, a cluttered, disorganized and chaotic looking website can cause a shopper to run to your competition. Take an honest look at your website and/or poll your friends who are most likely to be frank with you, and see if you can clearly determine what your company does, what products you sell and how to order. If any of this is unclear, and/or covered in a jumble of fancy colorful fonts, blaring videos and pop up ads, your potential customer will probably click out of your site. Use either a template form or work with a website designer to create a clean, professional site that is user-friendly and easy to navigate.
Unnecessary Emails
While you want to stay in touch with new and existing customers, filling their inboxes with tons of unwanted emails is probably not the best way to do it. Neither is the dreaded generic canned email reply to a question or concern that doesn’t say much of anything. Send email updates sparingly — maybe once a week or month — and make them short and sweet. Discuss new products or services without bashing your competition, and make sure everything is spelled correctly or you may “lose” some customers. If you use a canned email reply, assure your customers that you received their email and will get back to them in 24 hours and then do it.
Long Wait Times On the Phone
This has probably happened to you — you call a company to ask a question, only to be put on hold by an automated system. As you listen to the canned music and the occasional reassurances that your call “is very important to them,” as you reach the 15-minute mark you wonder if that really is the case. As ICMI notes, you are not alone in your frustration; they cite a 2015 Consumer Reports study that found 57 percent of people have been so frustrated with long wait times on the phone, they simply hung up, and 75 percent were “highly annoyed” with long wait times. To alleviate this issue and keep your valued clients on the phone, do everything you can to make the wait time as short as possible. For example, go old school and have a real person answer incoming calls and then route them to the right person; this immediate human interaction will help customers feel like they are valued.
In addition, invest in internal technology with the fastest mobile processors that will serve customers as swiftly as possible. For example, Qualcomm Snapdragon mobile platforms are some of the best mobile processors that money can buy; they combine advanced features and outstanding network connectivity along with power efficiency and more. When your CSR team is equipped with the latest technology, you can rest assured that your customers will get the help they need quickly and efficiently.
Keep ‘em Happy, and They’ll Come Back
When a customer is irritated with a company, they may tell their friends and family all about it — just like you probably did when you were on hold for 15-plus minutes. To keep your clients happy with your company and encourage them to stick with you, do away with anything that will bother them like loud and unprofessional websites, tons of annoying emails and long hold times. Look for ways to improve these issues as soon as you can and your customers will thank you by being loyal to your company.