Rethinking Exceptional Customer Service
Traditional wisdom suggests that to deliver exceptional customer service, companies must focus on two key factors:
- Speed: Resolving customer queries within a set timeframe (e.g., 6, 18, or 24 hours).
- Pleasurable Interactions: Ensuring the experience is friendly, engaging, and enjoyable.
While these principles make sense on the surface, research by the Corporate Executive Board (CEB)—a renowned member-based consulting firm—challenges this conventional thinking. They conducted a comprehensive study involving over 75,000 customers who interacted with companies via phone. The findings revealed a fascinating insight:
What Truly Satisfies Customers
The research shows that customers are most satisfied when their issues are resolved quickly and with minimal effort. While positive, engaging interactions are nice-to-haves, they aren’t as critical as the ease of resolution. In other words, customers value an effortless experience more than a delightful one.
The key takeaway? Customers don’t want to jump through hoops to solve their problems. The faster and simpler the process, the happier they are. This means reducing friction at every step, from finding information to getting their issues addressed, should be a priority for any company aiming to enhance customer satisfaction.
Are You Tracking Customer Effort?
It’s worth asking: Do you measure the amount of effort your customers put into solving their problems? Many companies focus on metrics like Net Promoter Score (NPS) or Customer Satisfaction (CSAT), but fewer track the Customer Effort Score (CES)—a metric that evaluates how easy or difficult it is for customers to resolve their issues.
By reducing the effort customers need to exert—whether it’s through user-friendly self-service options, clear communication, or swift resolutions—you can make a significant impact on their satisfaction and loyalty. After all, making life easier for your customers is often the ultimate form of exceptional service.
Source: https://hbr.org/2010/07/stop-trying-to-delight-your-customers