For better customer service, stick with smaller businesses?

Having had some recent frustrations with various corporate organisations customer service, it got me thinking about why some of them struggle and what the answer is? More often than not, if you want to be treated like a valued customer, it pays to go with smaller suppliers. Let me explain:

We’ve all been there. You go with one of the household names for your electricity, your banking or anything else. At the start all is well, but when you need something from them or something goes wrong, it becomes a nightmare.

After navigating your way through a labyrinth of pressing 1 and the hashtag sign, you spend half an hour on hold listening to some awful piece of music. When you eventually get through, you grit your teeth, put on your friendliest voice and tell them what you want. But, of course, they can’t help you. And no, you can’t speak to anyone in charge! You end up involved in a fight lasting weeks, sometimes longer, to get what you want (or give up all together).

Surely there’s a better way? I believe by their very nature, many big businesses cannot offer the kind of customer service standards we need in 2019. If you want to be treated with empathy and a desire to help, whether it’s your phone contract or someone to help you find your next job, it can pay to consider a smaller company. Here’s why.

Why some big corporations serve their customers poorly

In their search for bigger profits to satisfy their shareholders, corporations cut their running costs to the bone. When deciding where to make savings, the customer service or after-sales department is often seen as a primary target to achieve these savings.

It leads to a situation where many corporations simply can’t cope with how big they are and the number of customers they have. Their systems for dealing with customers are poor, they cannot monitor every customer service agent to make sure they are doing a good job, they can’t weed out rogue members of staff who are unhelpful or rude.

The problem is that this approach eventually comes back to haunt them. Poor customer service is one of the main reasons why customers move away from big corporations. Research from Vonage found that the most popular reason people switch brands is that they feel unappreciated (49%).

How the best small businesses capitalise

The poor service that many big corporations provide leaves an opportunity open for smaller businesses. The best ones make sure their customer service is of top quality. They make good customer service their competitive edge.

The best small businesses value every customer they have. They have worked hard to get them on-board and they want to keep them. They do their best to ensure that customers are happy with their service, but in the rare event of a customer complaint, that’s when they really shine. When things go wrong, they fix it.

Great small businesses treat their customers with empathy. They have a system of dealing with complaints, but it is flexible when it needs to be. They don’t have the ‘computer says no’ attitude that some big corporations do. They genuinely care.

Finally, the best small businesses never shy away from talking to their customers. They don’t hide behind half an hour of hold music and there is always a manager on hand when needed. It’s about communicating clearly what you are going to do to fix the problem, then following through on it. Good businesses do what they say.

Support small business

You can take advantage of the great customer service that the best small business offer by giving them your custom. Don’t let the big corporations with their ‘profit at all costs’ philosophy treat you like a number rather than a human being. Find someone who truly cares.

If you run a business, try using smaller suppliers for the goods and services your company needs. You’ll probably find life becomes a lot less stressful.

For the best customer experience in property recruitment, talk to the Joshua Robert team on 0121 582 0877, or visit www.joshuarobert.co.uk.