Is the British public condemned to a lifetime of bad customer service?

 

 

 

You don’t have to browse very deeply into the news headlines to uncover evidence of serious malaise in the relationships between many organisations and their customers. Banks, utility providers, phone companies, even parts of government seem to be repeatedly on the receiving end of complaints, criticism, and even official investigation, for failings in their service to customers.

 

 

I think many people today would be forgiven for feeling that the service they get from organisations is much worse than it was a decade ago. If anything, the growth of social media has accentuated this perception: isolated service problems can now rapidly mushroom into far more significant reputational issues. This new dynamic is putting many brands on the back foot, and presenting costly new challenges for businesses.

 

 

The paradox is that it is possible to understand and take action to contain these issues before they go social: the feedback your customers give over the phone, in letters, emails and text messages will contain all the clues a company needs. What’s more, provided they are harnessed correctly, these insights could have a major impact on everything from business strategy and product development to, indeed, customer service.