What Affects Customer Service Experiences?

It's no surprise that customer service has a profound effect on customer satisfaction. Some estimates state that poor customer service accounts for as much as 70% of all lost customers. But what is it exactly about customer service experiences that make a person decide whether or not the service they received was "bad" or "good" to the point of no longer using the company?

Researchers at National Dong Hwa University in Taiwan looked to measure this with an abstract that can be seen here . Rather than focusing on the basics of customer service, the researchers looked at the more forgotten emotional factors that lead to a positive or negative customer service experience. They noted the following: Authenticity Matters Employees that are truly happy tended to provide better customer service than employees that only acted happy.

This confirms the idea that employee satisfaction plays a role in customer satisfaction, because while good employees will still find a way to thrive, employees that are truly enjoying their jobs will have better customer interactions overall. Customer Happiness Matters For those that have worked in the service industry, this one gets an eye roll, because most employees will tell you that there are customers that – when they're in a bad mood – perceive everything as poor customer service even when good service is being delivered. Employee Expertise Matters Employee training should be an important part of any business, because genuine employee expertise – employees that understand your store or restaurant and how to do their job efficiently – has a strong effect on the customer satisfaction/customer service experience.

Most of these seem pretty straight forward, and should come as no surprise to those that have dealt with customers on a regular basis. What it does indicate however is that with some customers, the goal is going to be to limit the damage done by the customer's poor mood, rather than improve their experience with the company. It also indicates that teaching the basics of customer service may not be enough.

Employees are essentially going to have to dedicate themselves to their craft, as well as find a way to be genuinely happy at their jobs. As a business owner, this would mean that you much find a way to make work fun, and ensure that all employees receive a better-than-adequate amount of training in both their own jobs and in customer service techniques.