Service usually is prioritized by managers and business owners, even to the point where it’s viewed to be just as important as the product itself. Why? Bad service can have a ripple effect that colors how people see your business. But worry not – if this is a struggle your business deals with, there are ways to remedy it.
Increases Negative Reviews
More and more, reviews are carrying more weight with customers. The explosion of internet-based marketing has resulted in sites like Google or Yelp being highly popular sources of information. It’s now quite normal for people to glance at reviews before deciding to do business with a given company, especially in food service. Reviews will usually deal with those two parts of customer satisfaction – your product and the service – so you need to make sure that both are pristine. If your internet reviews are consistently negative, you need to address your service problems immediately and then offer incentives for future customers to give reviews.
Drives Customers Away
According to Answering365, more than 80% of customers have stopped doing business with a company because of bad service. The experiences that an individual has while receiving a product or service is going to be a large part of what they care about in regard to their purchase. Even if your product is great, bad service will still very possibly drive them away, especially if you have any kinds of local competitors. The current standard of customer service means that people will have an expectation for how they will be treated and how their complaints will be addressed. Operating according to those standards (within reason, of course) is essential for creating better service.
The Solution? Change Your Business Culture
The problem of consistently bad service within your business could have a few possible sources. Most likely, it stems from the company culture that has developed among the employees and/or the administration. To start remedying this, take customer reviews and complaints seriously. Insperity suggests offering incentives or bonuses for providing excellent customer service. If there are certain employees that seem to be specifically contributing to the problem, consider retraining them or talking to them one-on-one. If that does not work, you may need to consider firing them and replacing them entirely.
The good thing about providing good service is that it is generally the same for all businesses. It really isn’t complicated – just be kind, punctual, polite, and thorough. Be generous if you can afford it. The reputation your brand will build in your community will be well worth the effort.
Check out this article on how to minimize damage to your company from complaints!
