In this age of digital media, brands have many ways to offer exemplary customer service to their customer base. The advent of social media has also enabled customers to share their own customer service stories, which, in turn, become the brand’s own walking advertisement and word-of-mouth.
What are the reasons that companies with great customer service succeed? It’s because in a world riddled with choices and competing brands, customers have more power to end their relationships with a brand because of a single negative experience.
Since they know that they have choices, they are well aware that they have power. Hence, they don’t put up with any negative customer service because they know they deserve better.
In fact, a study conducted by the White House Office of Consumer Affairs discovered that 80 percent of American consumers are willing to spend more for services or products if they are sure that they will get superior customer experience and a higher customer satisfaction.
Furthermore, a research by InfoQuest found that the repurchase rate of a “totally satisfied customer” is between 3 to 10 times higher compared to that of a “somewhat satisfied customer.”
Brands today have more tools and channels that they can utilize to improve their customer service strategies. Here are some of the lessons we can learn from brands when it comes to delivering customer service that works to their advantages.
Air Asia
Air Asia generates more followers by taking care of the ones they already have on board. The low-cost carrier continuously offers free seats to their “˜Big Shot Members’.
The brand is constantly improving their customers’ experience and level of satisfaction by building a culture of reward and exclusivity.
Nike
Social media is a cheap and inexpensive communication channel to help you make significant changes in customer service management. For instance, Nike already has a strong following on social media, but they created a separate Twitter account that is dedicated to their customer service.
Nike’s @NikeSupport Twitter handle is quicker to respond to customer queries online, and has, so far, 167,000 followers. When it comes setting up new channels for delivering customer service, as the brand says, “Just do it.”
Chowking
In 2015, when the Philippines’ official basketball team Gilas Pilipinas lost to China’s national basketball team at the FIBA Asia Championship, disappointed Filipinos took to social media, vowing to boycott Chowking, the local restaurant that serves Chinese food.
Chowking turned the unwanted attention to their favor by posting this message on their social media accounts and referenced a famous Mandy Moore song:
“Dear Philippines, we all saw what happened. We can’t play this game anymore, but can we still be friends? PS: Our chefs aren’t referees, chismis lang po yun (That’s just a rumor). Bati na tayo please? (Can we please make up?) Love, Chowking.”
The key takeaway is to look for opportunities to turn a situation into an opportunity to deliver customer service excellence, even if it means looking a bit silly.
That particular post garnered over 9,000 shares and 1,200 comments. Further, it made Chowking look even cooler.
Sainsbury’s
Three-year-old Lily Robinsons was quite confused about Sainsbury’s “tiger bread.” To her, it looked more like a giraffe, and well, she’s right. The toddler, then, wrote a letter to Sainsbury’s customer service department with help from her parents and explained her dilemma.
“Dear, Sainsssssssssssssbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbburrrrrrrryys. Why is tiger bread called tiger bread? It should be called giraffe bread. Love from Lily Robinson age 3 ½,” she wrote and signed the printed let doodles.
To the surprise of both her parents, Sainsbury’s 27-and-one-third-year-old Chris King responded with an explanation of bread’s name.
“It is called tiger bread because the first baker who made it a loooong time ago thought it looked stripey like a tiger. Maybe they were a bit silly,” explained King in the letter.
“I think renaming tiger bread giraffe bread is a brilliant idea – it looks much more like the blotches on a giraffe than the stripes on a tiger, doesn’t it?”
Sainsbury’s ended up renaming the bread and credited the toddler on their company blog. Key takeaway? Excellent customer service knows no legal age.
Morton’s Steakhouse
After a long day on what was the last leg of his business trip, business consultant and author, Peter Shankman, knew that he would be hungry when he deplaned.
So, he tweeted Morton’s Steakhouse and asked if they could meet him at the Newark Airport with a porterhouse for his dinner. His tweet was straightforward:
“Hey @Mortons – can you meet me at newark airport with a porterhouse when i land in two hours? K, thanks. (smiley emoticon)”
At the Newark Airport, he was greeted by a gentleman wearing a tuxedo and holding a paper bag. Inside, he found a 24-ounce porterhouse from Morton’s complete with some bread, potatoes, and shrimp””hot and ready to eat.
Why Great Customer Service Matters
Exceptional customer service matters to your consumers. Ergo, customer service is a vital component that can bring your business to greater heights.
Apart from increasing customer loyalty, which is a rarity in these modern times, delivering customer service that is exceptional increases the amount of money customers spend on your products and services, as well as how often they make a purchase.
It also generates and increases your reputation and the number of potential referrals you can get from positive word-of-mouth and testimonials. Lastly, it helps you reach out to your customers with that personal flair that breaks down barriers between customers and big businesses.
For more of the best customer service success stories, you can check out this list to get you psyched on what great customer service can do for your brand.