Learn why things such as ignoring feedback, solving all of the problems and not using software for cleaning services negatively impact your customer base.
A computerized voice blares from your phone: “Your expected wait time is . . . five minutes.”
You glance at the clock and half-heartedly commit to stay on the line until an actual human being picks up. You really need your issue fixed today!
But after a long minute of poor quality elevator music, you lose patience and hang up. Does this kind of situation come to mind when someone mentions “customer service?”
NewVoiceMedia recently reported that over $40 billion is lost each year in the United States because of poor customer service. The Blog Millionaire claims that bad service drives away up to 55 percent of the average cleaning company’s customer base each year.
Your cleaning company could become part of these statistics if you’re not careful. Here are five factors why some cleaning companies struggle with offering good quality customer service.
Disregard customer feedback
Esteban Kolsky, founder of thinkJar, reported that the industry average for companies who actually use feedback from their customers is only 50 percent.
Not seeking and using feedback is basically telling customers that you don’t care about what they think or feel. It sends a message that you can make business decisions just fine without them.
Stand above the other 50 percent and take the time to find out what your customers have to say. Use resources such as online surveys and in-person contact.
Don’t use cleaning services software
Cleaning companies receive work orders regularly and customer requests are constantly streaming in. But how are you keeping track of these communications? How do you gather information to see where you need to improve?
Software for cleaning services, like CleanTelligent, allow companies to easily submit customer work orders and keep track of negative service trends, all in a single tool. Productivity and client satisfaction can be greatly increased.
Without reliable software, priorities can be forgotten and response time will be slower to questions or needs they may have.
Try to solve all the problems
Your customer service members are supposed to be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to fix every little issue for your customers, right? Wrong!
Seventy-three percent of consumers have said that they would rather solve an issue themselves, according to the 2015 Aspect Consumer Experience Survey.
Making your customers call in for every little problem will actually push them away and lead them to your competitors. Take a look at your products or services and see how you can make them less complicated.
This will also lighten the load for your customer service staff and help them focus on resolving the larger issues that need an expert’s attention.
See no complaints as a good thing
It’s a good sign when the kids at home don’t complain about the evening meal, but it doesn’t work like that in the world of business.
Kolsky also shares that only one of every 26 displeased customers complain to the company. The scary thing is that 91 percent of customers who don’t complain just up and leave for other competitors.
This is a dangerous situation for cleaning companies. Not only do customers stop paying you, but you don’t know why they stopped. You have no insight into what you could have done to keep them around.
Uncover dissatisfaction that’s not easily detected.
Forget to impress customers
No one likes having a friend who never really calls or stops by to see how you are. Why treat your customers the same way?
The worst thing you can do with your customers is collect a paycheck every month and wait around for them to contact you about a cleaning issue. You will lose many clients because you are not giving them good enough reasons to stay with you.
You need to impress your customers by going the extra mile. You can try any of these ideas:
- Ask how their experience with the product or service is going
- Offer tips or free tools to solve other problems they might face
- Contact them on birthdays
- Offer loyal customers a gift card or discount