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When You
Don’t Want Your Shoppers to Shop
We often mystery
shop the same clients via multiple methods.
We do this not only to see how the web customer service
experience compares to onsite customer service, etc.
But we also do this to compare consistency of response.
We ask the same questions, convey the same need, make the same
complaint via the web, via e-mail, via the phone, and onsite.
And we like to see consistent quality in the response received.
But we
rarely do.
Too many
organizations run their customer service communications in service-based
silos, and when this is done, inconsistencies arise.
Many businesses are frustrated with customers who “answer shop”
(contacting the business multiple times until they get the answer they
want). However, if 3
different employees can give 3 different answers, imagine how many
different answers a customer could get from 3 e-mails, a web review, an
onsite visit, and 3 calls.
I’m not saying that many customers will make 8 contacts to get the
answer they want, but customers who perceive inconsistency or lack of
confidence on the part of the company often try a 2nd or 3rd
time to get their need met.
When you think of
customer service, don’t have the siloed thinking that narrows your
definition of customer service just to calls or just to the web or just
to visits to your facility or just e-mail inquiries, etc.
Think from the perspective of the customer who should feel that
all methods should result in the same high level of responsiveness and
quality.
Make your
consistent quality keep your customers from answer-shopping.
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