According to the Institute of Customer Service’s (ICS) most recent UK Customer Satisfaction Index more companies have declined in service than improved. In 2021 and 2022, customer satisfaction with complaint handling showed a steady improvement but this has now stalled and other areas of customer satisfaction that are predictive of business performance, such as measures of a company’s emotional connection with its customers, their customer ethos, and ethics, have also declined.

ICS chief executive Joanna Causon comments, ”We are seeing a greater polarisation in customer satisfaction performance, with some companies pulling away from the pack and others alas falling considerably behind. Overall, this is not good for the UK’s standing and we need to address this decline to ensure we can really transform our trading position as a country as well as lift the spirits of customers and employees alike”.

She adds “We know customer attitudes and behaviours have changed in the last six months and will continue to evolve: not only are people thinking more carefully about spending due to the cost-of living crisis, but reducing their level of spending, shopping around more to find the best deals, and making fewer impulse or large purchases; there are longer term changes in behaviour that embody trends towards more mindful consumption and environmental sustainability”.

In today’s economy, keeping customers happy and getting them to remain loyal is now essential. Happy and successful customers are the lifeblood of any business. They are what transforms your growth from a funnel into a flywheel.  So, what are they key areas to focus on?

While we know there are some brilliant examples of exceptional above and beyond customer care from our clients, there is always room for improvement. The demands of the last few years have certainly impacted customer care and resources have been stretched, but it’s important now to look ahead, put remedial steps in place, and ensure that the customer really does feel like they are important!

Here are a few reminders to help you keep your customers feeling happy and buying from your business and not your competitors:

Recognise that people buy from people

If you rely on telephone sales then one key component of customer care is to offer a name to establish a real and personal connection. Revisit your call handling practices and ensure that attention to detail is applied to every stage, including the very first greeting.

 See it through

Unreturned calls and poor follow-up practices cost business – not just in terms of lost revenue but also reputation. Have a system for ensuring all calls to your business are followed up. Nothing upsets customers more than being ignored. Make sure all calls are followed up promptly – its lost business if they are not!

Make your shop window transact

Websites are the shop window for many businesses and marketing teams spend considerable time and money driving prospective clients to them. So, when web traffic turns into enquiries, it’s important it’s met with a timely response. If you have online enquiries, make sure you follow them up. Consistent enquiry handling is key.

Test all of your ‘get in touch’ forms on your website and your general enquiries email. Do they work as they should, are they passing enquiries to the right place and is there room for improvement?

Embrace live chat

Many smaller businesses do not offer any form of webchat and of those that do, responsiveness is hit and miss. A recent survey showed 50% of chats were responded to within 30 seconds yet the other 50% weren’t answered at all!

Customers expect communication with their suppliers to be easy, almost instant, and, increasingly, 24/7 so it’s important to offer a variety of channels. Live chat has the potential to deliver the quickest wins when it comes to customer experience. Managing it in-house it can be time-onerous and inconsistent, or conversations aren’t recorded centrally, so consider an outsourced service. There are many companies who offer this service, just search “Outsourced live chat”.

See: Why Customer Service Matters ⋆ Institute of Customer Service