Customer care for happy customers

You want your customers to be happy, right? You want all clients in your CRM system to be pleased with the brand after every interaction. While that may be the goal, it's not the reality at many companies. Researchers from the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University have revealed that "customer rage" is at an all-time high.

Customer issues can bring down companies

Americans are more vocal about their interactions with brands than ever before. Keeping this in mind, customer service managers must ensure that their staff is able to provide the best possible experience. According to the research, customers who were happy with how a business resolved an issue would tell between 10 and 16 people, on average. However, those who were dissatisfied with a company told about 28 people. Any time a firm has the opportunity to strengthen bonds with its client base, it's imperative that they take advantage of it.

"The moral of the story: Don't invest in improving your customer service unless you're going to do it right," says Professor Mary Jo Bitner, executive director of the Center for Services Leadership at the W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University. "If a company handles your complaint well, then you typically become a more loyal customer.

The customer experience is the most important thing

The research showed 56 percent of respondents from the 1,000 households polled in the study said that nothing came of their complaints and the company did nothing to meet their needs. This is absolutely unacceptable in today's business world where the customer experience is so critical. Companies have to take into account that it's not just one aspect of the firm that is responsible for ensuring that clients are getting the care they deserve, according to CMS Wire. Below are the three key factors that can make customer experience something that businesses can be proud of:

You engage customers on multiple platforms: Your marketing team must have CRM tools that give them access to as much information as possible about clients. This will allow them to create personalized marketing campaigns that can engage clients through social media, email marketing and all other types of digital strategies.

You meet customers on the medium of their choice: Your client service initiatives are nothing if they aren't customer-centric. Your team must be willing to troubleshoot any issues via live chat, social media, contact centers and email. Using multiple platforms to meet the needs of customers is imperative in ensuring that they are happy with the brand.

You've successfully embraced mobile: Americans are on their smartphones and tablets more than ever before. This is why you need an app they can use to interact with the brand and a mobile marketing strategy to engage customers when they are on the go.

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