What Consumer Behavior can teach us about Customer Service?

The advent of modern technologies has pushed people to go online to research, study, purchase, and compare products and services. As the traditional brick and mortar shop is increasingly shifting to click and mortar, businesses are expected to provide the same stellar customer service they provide in shops, online.

One of the best methods to ascertain whether a customer is interested in your product or service is by looking at things from the perspective of consumer behavior.

So what is consumer behavior?

 

Consumer behavior is essentially the study of individuals or groups, in relation to the process they use to search for, select and use products and services. It also studies their experiences and the impact it has on their buying and selling habits.

Businesses providing Customer Services can gauge their target audience by looking at their buying habits, the amount of money spent on certain products or services, and through market segmentation which includes the customer’s geographical location, age group, income group, and gender.

Creating Loyalty Is Key

 

It is of utmost importance to create trust and loyalty for your brand. If customers are experiencing difficulties in connecting with customer support online, they expect a personal touch and want to speak to someone on a one-to-one basis. If they don’t get to talk to someone who can guide them, you will lose a potential customer.

According to Gartner, around 50% of customers experience problems in navigating websites, and around 30% find it hard to find a customer service contact that they can connect to right there and then. This research tells us that it is prudent for all businesses to have online customer support service, which is easy to connect to, is readily available, and has a great response time. If customers are satisfied with the service offered at the website, this will help create loyalty for the brand, and will make them want to come back for more.

The report also states that around 80% of online customers require some degree of customer support to decide, select, and make their purchase. Statistics such as these tell us that, just like having a customer service rep in a shop guides you to certain products that you might want and cannot find, online customers want the same experience when they are navigating through the website.

Hence, it is essential for businesses to try and create a following for their brand. This will ensure customer retention, satisfaction, and eventually lead to greater returns on investment.

Changing Technology = Changing Behaviour

 

The age of technology has managed to change the way customers essentially interact with businesses. The rise of e-commerce has paved the way for businesses to reach out to their customers online through websites. It has also become essential for businesses to develop websites which are mobile-friendly, and are easily viewed on mobile phones.

Consumer behavior is key to figuring out what the customer wants, and expects from a business. Companies are now expected to have all the information that they can gather on their potential customers. It is also thus very important for all customer service representatives to know the different tools required to analyze all the information on customers and figure out how to connect with them, create leads, and eventually, make the sale.

The Human Touch is Essential in Customer Service

 

Businesses which value the human touch in customer service, will win the game. The main reason behind this is the fact that if an individual connects with a real person online, while trying to find a product or service, it enhances the chance that he/she will be persuaded to actually buy and use that product or service.

Creating integrity for your brand online, can therefore be best managed through diligent customer service, which makes customers feel valued, and in the future, makes them remember the wonderful interaction they had with the company.