1. Long lines /slow service
Everyone hates waiting but it gets even more unbearable when the service is ridiculously slow. Banks and government institutions are notorious places where there seems to be an unwritten code to reduce the number of tellers/reps whenever more customers join the line.
2. Rude service
You can tell someone really hates their job when they’re rude to you for the slightest misunderstanding. On top of making the experience quite unpleasant, it’s the surest way to lose a customer.
3. Pushy service
Being pushy is like an annoying website popup but in real life. It’s great that businesses see the need to upsell but presenting too many choices or requiring staff to shove certain products and services onto unsuspecting customers can backfire at times.
4. Discrimination
Some businesses lose out on potential customers because of their tendency to discriminate against certain groups. Apart from being against the law, when you choose to discriminate you don’t know whether that customer would’ve been your biggest sale for the month.
5. Unanswered calls
Automated answering systems are the bane of the customer service industry. Originally designed to keep businesses from missing out on valuable calls, it’s modern role is to keep customers waiting on hold indefinitely while listening to annoying jingles. Meanwhile company executives boast of the policy to “answer all calls within 20 seconds”. When that call was answered by a machine and the customer waits for 20 minutes to speak to an actual person, is that really the standard you’re aiming for?
6. Not keeping promises
A business that does not deliver what they promise is a business that cannot be trusted. When you fail to deliver or deliver something that is inconsistent with your promise, your customers are more likely to share their experience. Research proves that reviews from other customers have a much higher value to potential customers than pricey advertisements.
7. Uninformed / disinterested staff
The customer service experience can be made even worse when the worker appears distracted or disinterested in the customer in front of him. Employees who are not aware of what the company stands for or can’t explain simple questions about a product are also a big turn off for customers. There’s a reason why big name companies invest a lot of money into orientation or the brainwashing period. Knowledgeable employees are really a reflection of how much the company values both internal and external customers.