How Long Do Consumers Hold a Grudge After a Bad Customer Experience?

This is a great question that was posed in a recent blog we came across here at Etech.  Although it seems like such a basic question and one that we all should know, it’s amazing how this very basic question can escape the minds of even the most seasoned customer service reps.

According to the information in this article, the typical length of time that a customer can hold a grudge is one year. One year may not sound like a long time, but when you’re in the business of relationship building (and let’s face it, who isn’t) one year can feel like an eternity when it comes to rebuilding trust and restoring what once was. If we think about the art of restoring something, we know it can be a long and tedious process to bring back the former beauty and strength that once was…….and relationships are no different.  How much better to not lose that trust in the first place.

So, from a customer service standpoint, how do we go about the process of restoration?  Good question and one that is likely answered somewhat differently from company to company. However, one primary factor this article mentioned is having an effective implementation strategy when we do see things falter.

A good example of this is in the area of storing customer information so that when we do have contact with a customer, they are not required to repeat their information over and over.This reminds me of ICE! Did you know that Etech’s Integrated Customer Engagement platform does just this?

“Another interesting fact to come out of this research, is that a massive percentage of 92% of respondents indicated that being asked to provide the same information, multiple times during a service iteration, resulted in negative feelings about the business. The report highlights some issues that cause this problem, and this includes customer date being stored in non-integrated silos, which prevents the business receiving a true 360 degree view of the customer journey.” 

This can be resolved through an integrated data system that allows a business to receive a “360 degree view of their customer.”  When a customer is required to deal with several individuals, each individual should have that customer’s information in front of them.   Implementing this one simple strategy, could have a significant impact on the overall satisfaction of your customers.

This article mentioned several other factors that you can read about here. For those of us in the customer service industry, a good strategy to start with is that of never becoming complacent.  Always strive to learn and test your procedures to track their efficiency.  Remember, we’re in the relationship business, and all relationships take work.

This blog was posted by John Andrews, Global Business Development.  If you would like more information on improving your customer experience, please contact us at info@etechgs.com.