Is your service department performing actions that, despite the best of intentions, may in fact be creating negative impact with your customers?

As part of a national survey, Customer Care Management & Consulting collected the following list of 20 actions performed by service departments that are not well received by customers. Some are obvious. Others, however, may be a surprise to some service leaders.

Negative Actions

The following 10 actions created negative impact with customers.

1. You're invited to take a satisfaction survey, at the end of the call, using an automated telephone system
2. While you're on hold, they play a recorded message telling you that you're an important customer
3. They encourage you to say you're completely satisfied if you receive a satisfaction survey
4. The agent you talk to uses slang like 'ya', 'ok', or 'uh huh'
5. They don't play music or any messages while you're on hold - it's just silence
6. When they transfer you to another department, you have to wait on hold
7. The agent answering your call has a heavy foreign accent
8. A recording tells you to call back because of high call volume
9. They ask you for personal identifying information before you're able to explain why you're calling
10. When you must use an automated telephone system, the option to talk to a person is offered at the end of the instructions

Very Negative Actions

While the above actions weren't well received, the following 10 actions created even greater negative impact with customers.

1. A recorded message encourages you to use the company's website
2. They use an automated telephone system that requires you to speak your answers to a computerized voice
3. The agent puts you on hold during the call and doesn't update you on what he/she is doing
4. You must use a telephone book or directory assistance to find the telephone number of the company you're contacting
5. They play recorded advertisements while you're on hold
6. They repeat the same message over and over while you're on hold
7. You can't understand the agent because they talk too quietly or have a heavy accent
8. They use scripted answers
9. The agent you talk to uses bad grammar
10. They interrupt you to ask questions before you're able to explain why you're calling

Are there any points above that surprise you? Is your service department guilty of any of these customer frustrations? Remember, most customers won't actively complain to a company about many frustration points. It's up to your service team to actively solicit these criticisms. Service departments determined to seek out more problem areas and proactively resolve more issues will be the ones winning customer loyalty and, crucially, retaining their revenue for the company.

For more customer service wisdom from John Goodman, download the free ebook, "How to Create a Customer Service Process that Enhances Your Bottom Line", at the button below.