Consumers have grown accustomed to lightning-fast response times. From quick replies to overnight deliveries, expectations for speedy service are high.
The same is true for customer service response times. When things go wrong, shoppers want their problems fixed immediately. These expectations may not always be realistic, but they nonetheless leave companies wondering how to improve response times and retain customer loyalty.
Your call center can be the key to helping customers feel heard and meeting their needs. An audit of your customer service practices should include a look at the efficiency of your call center. Empowering representatives with the right tools and training will improve response times and keep customers happy.
What Are Fast Response Times in Customer Service?
Response time is a metric used to measure the effectiveness of customer service. It centers around how quickly customer inquiries are answered, whether they originate from a contact form, social media account, or call center.
As important as it is to be timely, the speed of a response should never compromise its quality. Fast answers without substance may end up frustrating customers even more.
The exact time a response should take depends on which type of customer support channel is being used. For emails, a response time between 12 and 24 hours is considered quick. For live chats, the response time must be under five minutes to be considered fast.
5 Benefits of Rapid Customer Service
A study conducted by the CMO Council concluded that the single most significant attribute that leads to customer satisfaction is quick response time to suggestions, requests, and complaints.
Contented customers may lead to more revenue, but customer satisfaction is only one of the benefits of quick customer service. Here are a few others.
1. Keeping Your Company Competitive
It doesn’t matter how innovative your product is — if you can’t compete with companies that provide swift service, your company will soon fade in popularity.
A fast response time gives customers the impression that you’re a thriving, organized business, not a struggling one-man show. It also helps them see that their patronage is important to you. When customers believe you’re willing to put their satisfaction at the top of your priority list, they’re more likely to stick with you.
2. Making You Stand Out
Customer reviews are full of comments like, “There was a problem with a product, but the customer service was so fast and friendly, I’d buy from this company again anytime.” However, no one ever says, “Customer service took six weeks to resolve my minor issue, but that’s okay because the product works fine now.”
The point is that fast response times from friendly, knowledgeable agents can make customers overlook almost any mistake and get them to recommend your company to their friends and relatives despite occasional hiccups.
3. Producing Better Sales Conversions
Improved response times mean more opportunities for customer engagement and potential sales. Studies have found that a majority of consumers will buy from and remain loyal to a brand that answers their questions accurately and quickly. Fast responses also encourage customers to make fast sales decisions.
4. Increasing Customer Satisfaction
Having customers who are satisfied with the goods or services they purchase from you is the key to success. Quick response times help you preserve a positive brand image and make customers feel valued.
In a survey about what businesses can do to increase return customers, many of those surveyed said companies score high when they demonstrate that they value their customers’ time.
5. Improving Employee Engagement
That’s right — fast response times are good not just for customers but also for employees. Most workers in the customer service sector genuinely enjoy helping people. They want to have positive interactions with customers and use the company’s resources to solve consumer problems promptly.
Spending the day responding to angry correspondence from unhappy customers who have waited an unreasonable amount of time for their complaints to be addressed is no one’s idea of a good time. Providing employees with the resources they need to respond promptly and efficiently will help you retain strong team members.
Is Slow Customer Service Response Time Really That Big a Deal?
As a company owner or manager, you should have faith in your products. However, it’s a mistake to think that a great product alone is all that’s required for success. Slow customer response times can harm your business in a number of ways.
Some of the negatives related to response time include:
- The perception of quality — slow response times give the impression that your product isn’t that good
- A loss of customer trust
- Lost orders from customers who abandon their carts or return purchases while waiting for answers
- Poor word-of-mouth reviews
Any one of these negative impressions is enough to sink your business, especially if it’s just getting off the ground.
How to Improve Response Time
A study by Bain and Company found that 80% of U.S. companies believe they provided superior customer service. However, only around 8% of U.S. consumers believe they receive superior service.
The gap between what businesses and customers perceive is where improvements can be made. Here are some key points that will help you deliver consistently fast response times in customer service:
- Use all available technology
- Leverage templates and canned responses to speed up the process
- Create self-service options, such as FAQs
- Ensure accountability with a response time policy
- Organize customer inquiries by urgency
- Take advantage of multi-channel support strategies
Lastly, never underestimate the power of a well-trained team. Give your team members the training and tools they need to respond quickly and effectively. It’s also a good idea to improve their product knowledge and provide regular training and education regarding your goods and services.
Reap the Benefits of Quick Customer Service
Today’s marketplace is highly competitive. Providing a great product or service is no longer enough to garner repeat sales. Luckily, with a few small changes, you can provide fast response times in customer service that will help your company succeed.