A new survey suggests that customers prefer businesses that are 'easy to do business with' rather than those that provide 'exceptional service'. Apparently, The Customer Contact Council conducted a study to find the relationship between customer service and loyalty. The 75,000 participants in the study had interacted with call centers or used self-service channels.
They found that making it easy for people produces better results when it comes to future purchases than 'delighting' customers with a "wow" service experience.
94% of the people who were able to resolve issues with low effort made additional purchases, and 88% increased spending on future purchases.
Apparently, just 12% of the people reporting a "wow" experience indicated that it made them more loyal.
However, I'd argue that the two things are linked! Simply 'Being Easy To Do Business With' often does provide a 'wow' experience, because it surprises them and exceeds their expectations. The result? 'Delighted Customers'!
Do it consistently and they become 'Devoted' Customers - those that have 'High Expectations and get A Consistently Great Experience'. Don't believe me? Check out my article on Amazon being 'easy to deal with'
Another thing that the research also confirmed was that poor loses you customers - 96% of people who have to make a lot of effort to resolve issues and problems are more disloyal.
So, the evidence is clear - making it quick and easy for customers to buy from you and do business with you is a good way to increase loyalty and retention.
How easy are you?