We’ve all heard customer-service nightmare stories, the ones that end with a declarative, “I’m never stepping foot in that place again!” And occasionally, you might hear about someone’s amazing customer-service experience.
But how often does someone bother to tell you about a customer experience that falls somewhere in-between? It wasn’t great. Nor was it bad. It was unremarkable. Of anyone bothered to tell you about, would involve bland products, moderately confusing store interiors, slightly bored staffers and somewhat inefficient checkout procedures.
According to Dan Hill, author of Emotionomics, the quality of your products and your customer service and support (which arguably, is the bulk of the customer experience) is far more influential than other factors.
In his keynote address at Nokia World 2008, he highlighted research showing that service and support, especially after a purchase, are more important than many of us realize.
Buyer Influence Factors
| Factor | Before purchase | After purchase |
|---|---|---|
| Company reputation | 45% | 20% |
| Advertising | 11% | 6% |
| Quality of product & level of service/support | 44% | 73% |
Photo credit: The Consumerist
