Yahoo Finance 10 Signs You Should Take Your Business Elsewhere
Interacting with companies who have done you wrong can be a huge headache. Following up about faulty products, services that were not performed (or at least not performed to your standards) and even non-delivery altogether can rob hours from your life. Even with social media offering more ways to get companies' attention (they might respond more quickly to a negative Facebook post than an email since it's so public, for example), there are still times when customer service calls can feel like a black hole you don't want to enter.
If you're struggling to get companies to meet your needs, then it might be time to say goodbye and find newer and more responsive ones to take their place. Here are 10 common things companies do that irk their customers -- all of them are signs that you should walk the other way:
1. Being hard to reach
Some customers like to send emails to sort out customer service debacles, while others prefer phone, instant message or Twitter. Smart companies make themselves available across all channels, including social media, so customers can reach out to them via their preferred method. The financial services industry, for example, has become very active on Twitter, with financial advisors and banks tweeting directly at customers and also responding to their tweets.
2. Failing to say "sorry"
When companies make mistakes, whether it's sending the wrong product or overcharging your credit card, sometimes customers merely want to hear two little words: "We're sorry." Companies, though, often have trouble expressing that sentiment, which only leads to more frustration and anger from consumers.
3. Wasting customers' time
Putting customers on hold to listen to elevator music for more than five minutes, especially when they're trying to fix a problem with their order, compounds customers' pain. "If I spend an hour on the phone with an agent, they're getting paid and I'm not," says Emily Yellin, author of "Your Call Is (Not That) Important to Us."
4. Not responding to requests quickly
If customers send an email to change their recent online order, or complain to their cable company about spotty service, they expect a response quickly -- usually within 24 hours or less. Companies that take too long to answer questions or respond to concerns risk alienating their customers.
5. Too much automation
When customers pick up the phone and call a company, they usually want to talk to a real person -- not an automated system that tells them to punch numbers or speak slowly. "The company pre-selects the options you have, and if your option isn't on there, you're lost," Yellin says. To track down real people at companies, check the website gethuman.com.
6. Bouncing customers around
When customers call to file a claim with their auto insurer, or to get an erroneous charge taken off their credit card, they don't want to have to repeat their story five times. "Nothing is more frustrating than being bounced from one department to another and have no one care enough to help you," says Jeanne Bliss, president of CustomerBliss, which helps companies understand their customers' perspectives.
7. Selling faulty products
Customers get frustrated when the new shirt they just ordered unravels after the first wash or when a new toy for their child falls apart a week after they buy it. "Your product has to be good and reliable," Bliss says.
8. Ignoring complaints
"What irritates you and me the most is feeling like we're being ignored," says Janet Eden-Harris, a marketing expert based in the Denver area. In addition to providing prompt service in stores, smart companies swiftly respond to complaints and problems.
9. Making it hard to return items
With some companies, like Zappos, that offer free shipping even on returns, customer expectations are rising. Being forced to pay to send an item back, or even worse, wasting time at the post office instead of being given return labels with shipping costs included, irks busy customers.
10. Nickel and diming customers
Savvy shoppers are well aware of how fees can pile up: service charges, shipping and handling, extra insurance. Even worse is when customers are surprised by the final bill or when they don't notice something like a monthly service charge until they review their credit card statement.
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