The Tribune

We have all experienced poor customer service. Sometimes the issue can be small, such as waiting in a long queue, or much broader due to receiving a completely different product or service compared to what was expected. Whatever the case, negative experiences leave customers deeply unsatisfied and hesitant to patronise that company in the future.

I am sure employers have all heard these expressions before. “Be careful of who is placed at the forefront of your business” and “one rotten apple can spoil the whole bunch”. Bad customer service occurs whenever a customer feels a company and its staff have not met their expectations or needs, and the causes can be many.

They include employees with bad attitudes; long waiting times; an automated system that makes it hard to reach a human agent; and having to repeat information multiple times. A classic customer service failure that is especially annoying, and a pet peeve of mine, is sticking rigidly to corporate policies even when they make no sense.

Customers do have high expectations of how they wish to be treated and, when spending their hard-earned funds, they are often quick to voice their complaints on social media to sound the alarm. So, it is not wise to ignore these failings, especially in today’s digitally connected world.

Consequences of bad customer service

Do the math quickly. Would your company survive if you lost half your customers? You might be thinking: ‘But what about the other half who choose to remain loyal?’ Not so fast. If customers have two negative experiences with your support team, most of them may likely leave (and support your competitors). We cannot really blame them, can we?

There is hardly any business that can avoid customer complaints completely.

However, instead of avoiding the situation, they should empower their team to know how to handle complaints.

Insufficient communication

If a concert starts 30 minutes late, and this is not communicated to attendees in advance, it can lead to disappointment. On the other hand, if the company informed consumers in advance, it may not have caused as much disappointment as consumers would have probably expected the delay and arrive at the venue later. Communication is key.

Some of the consequences facing businesses with a ‘bad service’ image include difficulties in attracting new customers, loss of revenues, or additional costs if customers request refunds.

If you are not paying attention to your customers’ concerns, your business reputation will no doubt suffer due to perceived lack of empathy. Sometimes, simply letting your customers know you understand their concerns and you are working to resolve them can make a big difference. The stakes may be higher than ever, but so is the opportunity to make a great impression.

Nonetheless, poor customer service destroys a company’s public image which, in turn, results in failure. The sad thing is that all these problems could have been avoided if the business invested more in training in its employees.

Whatever the cause, poor customer service produces a negative experience, and it is important to recognise the red flags quickly and address them. One bad employee can be the start of a failing brand or the decline of your hard-earned investment.

Focus on developing self-service resources, as acquiring a new customer can cost five times more than retaining an existing customer. Ask yourself: How does poor customer service affect your business? Until we meet again, fill your life with memories rather than regrets. Enjoy life and stay on top of your game.

• Columnist welcomes feedback at deedee21bastian@gmail.com. Deidre M. Bastian is a professionally-trained graphic designer/brand marketing analyst, author and certified life coach