Are you guilty of disrespecting your customers? That's a rhetorical question, and I'm sure the answer is no. At least I hope the answer is no.
Our friends at Provide Support sent over an awesome infographic about different reasons customers don't like the companies they do business with. I don't think you'll disagree with any of the reasons, and you'll probably hope that your company is not guilty of what I call Crimes Against the Customer. With that said, here are ten of the more flagrant wrongdoings companies are guilty of, along with some of my commentary:
1. Not appreciating loyalty
I'm amazed at the number of companies that take customers for granted. At least say thank you. I recently made a purchase at a store and the cashier didn't even bother to say thank you.
2. Not valuing their time
My dad taught me one of the most disrespectful things you can do to anyone (especially a customer) is to be late. If you say you'll be somewhere or will call someone back at a certain time, do it. It is basically saying your time is more important than theirs, which is very disrespectful.
3. Not providing clear contact information
I hate going on a website and having to hunt for an address or phone number. Make it easy to connect with you and your company.
4. Not being easily accessible
How long does it take to reach a live person on the phone? Or, to put another way, how easy are you to connect with? Doing business should be easy. Take the friction out of connecting with your support and sales people.
5. Putting them on hold for too long
This is another way to disrespect your customer's time. With the technology available today, you can inform the customer of how long the wait will be and give him or her the choice of being called back within that time or a time that is more convenient to the customer. There's no longer an excuse to keep customers on hold for unreasonable periods of time.
