3 Keys to Customer Satisfaction - Speed, Efficiency, Knowledge

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3 Keys to Customer Satisfaction Speed,
Efficiency, Knowledge

• Customers want fast service or support from
  knowledgeable people where, when and how they
  prefer to receive it, based on results of a study
  the CMO Council published Tuesday.
• Together with SAP Hybris, the CMO Council last
  year conducted an online survey of 2,000
  respondents, equally divided between men and
  women. Fifty percent were in the United States,
  and 25 percent each resided in Canada and Europe.
• Among the findings
• 52 percent mentioned fast response time as a
  key attribute of an exceptional customer
  experience
• 47 percent said knowledgeable staff, ready to
  assist whenever and wherever needed, was key
• 38 percent wanted an actual person to speak
  with at any time and place
• 38 percent wanted information when and where
  they needed it
• 9 percent wanted brand-developed social
  communities and
• 8 percent wanted always-on automated services.

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Consumers have a shortlist of critical channels
they expect to have access to, the survey found,
including the companys website, email, a phone
number, and a knowledgeable person to speak
with. The mindsets of consumers whether B2B or
B2C are shifting, said Liz Miller, SVP of
marketing at the CMO Council. Marketers have to
start asking, Are we set up to be a responsive
organization that looks at data, looks at
analytics, understands whats coming in through
CRM and is able to reflect that back through all
touchpoints, including physical ones, quickly? Or
are we simply waiting to react?' she told CRM
Buyer. Serve Us Well or Die! Angry customers
hurt brands. The survey identified the following
behaviors 47 percent of respondents said they
would stop doing business with a brand if they
were continually frustrated 33 percent were
annoyed because of slow service or dealing with
reps who knew nothing about their past history or
purchases 32 percent said they would email a
company to complain and 29 percent said they
would tell their family and friends about their
bad experience
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Thats a possibility that Warrantech, which
provides extended service plans and warranties
nationwide, is well aware of. The company on
Tuesday announced a partnership with mobile
workforce management ServicePower, which will let
it instantly connect customers who have service
needs with available repair technicians. Prompt
response time is critical in our line of
business, said Brian Weaver, director of service
operations at Warrantech. The teamup is expected
to reduce overall customer turnover time by up to
10 percent across all verticals and ultimately
translate into commensurate lifts in clients
sales and customer retention, he told CRM
Buyer. The Customer Wish Conundrum One problem
marketers face is that customers appear to have
conflicting desires, as shown by the survey
results 36 percent of respondents were angry
about not being recognized for their loyalty
12 percent wanted companies to recognize their
history with the brand at any touchpoint 10
percent wanted multiple touchpoints and 23
percent felt they were being followed online.
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That poses a conundrum for marketers. This
survey did indicate the respondents wanted
knowledgeable staff and for that, Id argue
part of the knowledge is knowing about the
customer, not just the product, so that the
advice can directly address the customers unique
problem, said Rob Enderle, principal analyst at
the Enderle Group. Knowing about the customer
improves the quality of the engagement, he told
CRM Buyer. That said, consumers dont care how
companies do what they do they only care about
the results, the CMO Councils Miller
noted. Its a sausage factory. Consumers dont
care how you make them, they just want tasty
sausage. At the end of the day, consumers want to
be treated like persons, she said. Each firm
needs to survey their own customers, assess the
impact and costs of changes, then formulate a
strategy that applies uniquely to them, Enderle
suggested. Some may find that the cost/benefit
ratio is still better with automation.