There is a particular kind of frustration that comes with needing help from a company you have already paid. You call customer service, you wait, then after several minutes of listening to music that you may not even enjoy, someone answers and says, “Please hold.”
Customer service is supposed to make life easier, yet for many customers, it has become another hurdle to cross before the actual problem can be solved. This is where businesses need to pay attention.
Sometimes customers simply want someone to listen, understand, and do something about it. A delayed flight, failed transfer, missing parcel, pending refund request, faulty products, incorrect bill, a service that stopped working after payment. What often turns frustration into anger is the experience that follows. Being passed from one person to another, having to repeat the same story three times, receiving a response that sounds carefully rehearsed but does not answer the question, or being told, “We understand your concerns,” when what the customer really needs is, “Here is what we are going to do.”
There is nothing wrong with scripts. Businesses need consistency, especially when dealing with large volumes of customers but when customer service becomes entirely scripted, customers can feel as though they are speaking to a wall instead of a headset, and that is dangerous.
A good customer service representative does not necessarily need to have every answer immediately. If the issue needs another department, take responsibility for moving it there. If there will be a delay, explain it honestly. If the company made a mistake, acknowledge it. Sometimes, “I’m sorry, this should not have happened. Let me see how I can fix it,” can achieve more.
Many Nigerian businesses, have an interesting relationship with customer service. We can build impressive offices and produce campaigns telling customers that they are our most valued asset, only for the customer to spend 45 minutes trying to reach somebody who can actually help.
Of course, customer service is not easy. Employees deal with difficult customers, pressure, limited information, and inefficient systems.
Train staff to solve problems, not merely respond to complaints. Give frontline teams enough authority to make reasonable decisions, make escalation simple, track recurring complaints and most importantly, listen to what customers are saying before the complaint becomes a social media post.
The best companies understand that a customer who has a problem is not necessarily a lost customer. In fact, handled properly, a difficult moment can become an opportunity to build trust. So perhaps the real question businesses should be asking is not, “How quickly did we respond to the customer?” It is, “After speaking to us, does the customer feel helped?” Because answering the phone is customer service.
Solving the problem is actual service.
