Customer service professor Silke Bambauer-Sachse agrees: “Employees should always take complaints seriously.”

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Satisfied customers determine the success or failure of a company. Customer service plays a very important role in this regard. However, customer demands are changing. Silke Bambauer-Sachse (47) knows exactly how to do this. He is a professor at the University of Freiburg and has been researching consumer behavior and customer service for years. She advises companies to take every customer complaint seriously.

Blick: When was the last time a company gave you the best advice?
Baumbauer-Sachse: This was a recommendation from my personal contact at my bank. He took his time, identified my needs, answered questions, showed alternatives and all their advantages and disadvantages. I rarely seek advice in general and usually do my own research on the internet.

Are customers more demanding today than before?
Like that. It has become much easier for customers to learn more about a product or company. This can lead to higher expectations. Another reason is the abundance of alternatives. Anyone who wishes can order products online from anywhere in the world.

Dissatisfied customers love to threaten with negative online reviews. A problem?
These online reviews have given customers a whole new level of power. However, the fact that they are already threatened with negative reviews on the site is a very unpleasant trend. It would be much better if they share their positive or negative experiences after contacting the company. If these are well-grounded and understood, they can be very helpful to others.

So is it much more difficult for companies to provide good customer service today?
Companies face more intense competition. That’s why they have to meet customers early, take their feedback seriously, involve them in the development process, and actively solve their problems. If companies take all this into account, customer service is no longer as difficult as it used to be.

More and more companies are automating and digitizing customer service. How good does it work?
Many companies are enthusiastic about chatbots and service systems based on artificial intelligence, aimed at helping with problems and questions. You see the huge savings potential. However, more complex concerns can quickly overwhelm a bot. And if he can’t help, customers will of course be dissatisfied and feel lonely.

Will personal recommendations continue to be important?
This largely depends on the product. Is the advice intense and risky? Many people still want personal advice on mortgages or major insurance. Others choose to do their own research and get their mortgage online. As a company, knowing your customers’ preferences is important so that you can invest in the right place.

Customer support line employees often face complaints. How do you react? TRUE?
It is important that employees always take complaints seriously and remain polite and objective at all times. They need to be trained accordingly. From the company’s perspective, these complaints are still the ideal situation. It would be much worse if customers left without a word or caused an internet storm. Additionally, negative feedback presents an opportunity.

And which one?
Companies can learn from this. And if they respond correctly to the complaint, customers often feel more committed to the company than customers who don’t complain at all.

Source :Blick