The Connection Between Customer Service And Sales

Customer service: it’s more than just a customer walking up to a counter or calling up a phone line where they speak with an actual human who helps them out. It’s more than an extra-chipper personality on the part of the employee, remaining constant even during the ebbs and flows of dissatisfied customers’ angry outbursts. It’s more than that, and in some cases it’s the difference between significant sales and lackluster ones.

Here are some stats to consider.
In a 2015 study, customers had a few things to say about customer service and how it affects their spending habits: 

• 54% of customers claimed they would be willing to pay more for companies that display excellent customer service. This includes repeat purchases, as well as claiming they “fall in love” with companies and brands that have great customer service.
  
  

• 66% of customers claim they switch companies due to poor customer service, which is defined as anything including rudeness, lack of knowledge on the part of the employees, too much switching amongst team members, and an overall feeling of being undervalued as a customer.
  
  

• 82% of customers claim they actually stopped doing business with companies due to poor customer service. This is a combination of never seeking out these companies again or waiting several years before returning. 
  
  

• 95% of customers claim they share their bad experiences with customer service with other people.
  
  

• 87% of customers claim they share their good experiences with customer service with other people.

So, here is the takeaway: if a customer likes how your company handles its customer service, they are more likely to A) Spend more money for products/services, B) Return for more sales C) Tell everyone about the great customer service they received. If a customer is dissatisfied with your company’s customer service practices, they are more likely to A) Leave your company as a customer. B) Seek out a company with better customer service and give them their money, and C) Tell everyone about the poor customer service treatment they received from your company.

This all translates into the addition and subtraction of sales. The conclusion? Study your customer satisfaction surveys. Listen to customer feedback, take it all into consideration, and if there are gaps in good customer service, fill them in. Hire employees willing to make it work within customer service and train them for the best and worst case scenarios. The result will be a boost in profit and patrons who will speak highly of your company in your presence…and your absence.