Why It’s Important to Keep Your Customers Talking

Tara Wildt discusses the how customers can influence brand reputation, both for better and for worse.

It’s no surprise that your business or brand’s reputation is critical. In person or online, customers talk.

No matter how fantastic your company, agency, or the experience is once a customer steps through the front door, in many cases your reputation could be all that a potential customer has to work with before they decide to do business with you.

Every Customer Interaction Matters

In a recent Interactions survey, 87% of respondents indicated that stories about a company from their friends and family are important in influencing their purchasing decision.

But it doesn’t end there. In the digital age, the opinion of one customer is no longer just an opinion. It’s a review – and it’s easier than ever to put it out there for the world to read.

82% of respondents indicated that online reviews are somewhat or very important in making purchasing decisions.

When Consumers Have Bad Experiences, They Share Them

Have you ever dealt with a rude customer service representative? What’s the first thing you want to talk about with a friend after you hang up? Whether it’s by word of mouth or through social channels, a bad experience with your company or brand is very likely to be shared.

Our survey showed that 82% of consumers have complained to a friend, 72% have written a negative review online, and 35% have posted on social media about a negative customer service experience.

Your potential customers are likely to see these reviews before making a decision to purchase.

How Does This Affect Day-to-Day?

All of this influences what matters most to any business – revenue.

In our survey, 73% of consumers have chosen to make a purchase from a company based solely on its reputation for good customer service.

On the flipside, 86% have decided to no longer do business with a company because of a single bad customer experience.

What Does This Mean?

Your company’s reputation matters – maybe more so now than ever before. It’s important to leave a positive impression at every opportunity with your current customer base because that impression can have a dramatic ripple effect.

Your potential consumers are actively seeking out reviews. And because of how likely someone is to share something negative, it pays to have the right customer service representatives or automated system standing by.