Customer service is a vital part of any business, and the modern consumer has high expectations. Many of the big online retailers have well staffed customer service teams that can be reached instantly using live chat and any issues can be resolved right away.

People come to expect this level of service from all companies, and there are certain things that consumers hate about customer service. If your customer service department is frustrating, that will put people off dealing with your business again in the future, so it’s important that you avoid some of the most common mistakes.

These are some of the things that people hate most about dealing with customer service departments. 

Long Wait Times 

When people call up a customer service line, they always expect to wait a little while. But anything more than a few minutes can really rub people up the wrong way.

People are busy and they don’t have time to wait on hold for hours, so most people hang up after a few minutes and they are left with a bad impression of your company.

If you want to keep customers happy, it’s important that you put them through to an operator right away. You should also consider following up with existing customers to check whether they have any issues.

If you call them directly before they even get a chance to call you, that shows that you are invested in them and helps to improve customer engagement. It also keeps the customer happy because they don’t have to chase you. 

Being Passed Around From Person To Person 

In some cases, even when a customer finally gets through to somebody, they still don’t get their issue resolved because they’re speaking to the wrong person. Then, they get passed on to somebody else and have to start the whole process again.

In order to avoid this, you need to upgrade to 3cx phone systems with advanced menus and call queues. If customers can input a few details on the menu system and get in the right queue straight away, you can avoid passing them from person to person, which improves the experience for them in a big way.

Another way to solve this problem is to create efficient digital solutions. For example, suppose you own a salon. In that case, you can invest in Salon Software for customers to give reviews and make suggestions.

It also provides a means for customers to make enquiries and receive assistance speedily, instead of going through an ineffective and frustrating communication channel.

Rude Customer Service Staff 

This is an obvious one, but many businesses don’t realize that it’s an issue for them. In many cases, customer service staff are not intentionally being rude but it comes across that way to customers. It’s important that your customer service staff gauge the tone that a customer is using and respond accordingly.

If an older customer that prefers a more formal interaction calls up and your staff talk to them in a very casual manner, that can come across as a lack of respect. But if somebody calls up and they have a very familiar, friendly tone, they may feel that your staff are being cold if they respond with a very formal tone.

It’s important that you provide adequate training in good phone etiquette and teach your staff how to gauge the tone of the customers. 

If you can avoid these common mistakes, your customers will have a far more positive experience when they interact with your business.