What do customers Really want from you?

American Express just released the results of a survey called the "American Express Global Customer Service Barometer."  It quantifies consumer attitudes about the firms they choose to do business with - and those they choose NOT to do business with.  Your firm is directly affected by the findings.  Let's take a look:

61 percent report that quality customer service is more important to them in today's economic environment. And, they’ll spend an average of 9 percent more when they believe a company provides excellent service.

37 percent believe that companies have increased their focus on providing quality service.

27 percent feel businesses have not changed their attitude toward customer service.

28 percent say that companies are now paying less attention to good service.

91 percent consider the level of customer service important when deciding to do business with a company. But only one-quarter (24 percent) believe companies value their business and will go the extra mile to keep it.

48 percent feel companies are helpful but don't do anything extra to keep their business.

Worse, 21 percent believe that companies take their business for granted.

The psychology of how people make business decisions (and give referrals) is even more relevant in light of those numbers. Most people do not want to be seen as negative. It actually takes more effort to frown than smile, and it takes more effort to complain. So, customers are more inclined to talk about a positive experience, than complain about a negative one. That is, until they feel they've been burned two times.  Then, watch out.  In that case, you have turned a possible advocate into a real life adversary.  So, what's the solution?

In the end, it all comes down to the customer's experience and perception of you and/or your firm.  Consumers are far more likely to give a company repeat business after a good service experience (81 percent), than they are to never again do business with a company after a poor experience (52 percent). In fact, consumers listed the three most influential factors when deciding which companies they do business with as:

Personal experience (98 percent)

The company's reputation or brand (92 percent)

Recommendations from friends and family (88 percent)

What do those three have in common? Psychology – you can influence (or control) all three. In other words, let your actions speak for you, and train your employees in how to turn every client encounter into a positive client experience. If you'd like to see a list of the specific skills needed to achieve this, just let us know.

Disclaimer: This research was completed online among a random sample of 1,000 U.S. consumers aged 18+. Interviewing was conducted by Echo Research between April 13 and April 20. Most of our AboutPeople clients do not seek to attract the 18-year-old market, so it’s probably appropriate to toss a few grains of salt into those numbers. That said, the data here is still valid.

-- Michael Lovas