{"id":31619,"date":"2017-11-08T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-11-08T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hyken.com\/charging-more-for-a-better-customer-service-experience\/"},"modified":"2024-01-22T11:42:00","modified_gmt":"2024-01-22T11:42:00","slug":"charging-better-customer-service-experience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hyken.com\/customer-experience\/charging-better-customer-service-experience\/","title":{"rendered":"Charging More for a Better Customer Service Experience"},"content":{"rendered":"\"\"<\/a>It\u2019s almost a given that every company has some form of a customer service department. Even the smallest companies \u2013 with just one solo entrepreneur \u2013 will act as if they have a customer service department. Why do people reach out to the customer service department? Because they need help, have a question, or want to make a complaint.\r\n\r\nSo, understanding that, why would a company choose to deliver an amazing customer service experience to just some of their customers and not to every <\/em>customer? (That\u2019s a rhetorical question, by the way.) This question comes on the heels of reading the customer service policies of some companies. Unless you\u2019re willing to pay for better support, all you\u2019ll receive is minimal and mediocre support.\r\n\r\nThere are some companies that will only give you email support \u2013 unless you pay more and upgrade your customer service experience to phone support. Or, there\u2019s the company that wants more money to speak to a U.S. based customer support rep. Then, there are the companies that make their customers pay for each and every support call. I recently read about a cable company that charged a customer to resolve an issue with a monthly bill that had an error on it.\r\n\r\nThe offer to get better support usually has promises like less wait time, extended hours and, as mentioned earlier, a support rep that is based in the U.S. (or from whatever country you\u2019re calling from). Why should that be an option or an add-on feature? This should be automatic.\r\n\r\nCustomer service can make, or break, your reputation. Being known for your service earns you a reputation in the marketplace that can give you a competitive edge. Charging for these services can erode that positive experience. And you really don\u2019t have to charge more, because customers are willing to pay more for good service. The stats and facts prove that a large majority of customers \u2013 as high as 90 % \u2013 would be willing to pay more if the company provided better service. So, rather than charge for each time a customer calls, build it into the price of your product.\r\n\r\nFinally, you want and need feedback<\/a>. Charging extra for customer service may cause a customer to be unlikely or unwilling to call you with a problem. Even if they resolve the problem on their own, there is likely a level of stress and frustration the customer will experience in doing so, which may cause them to buy elsewhere in the future. And if they don\u2019t call you, you won\u2019t hear about the complaint or get feedback that you need to fix problems and create a better experience for future customers.\r\n\r\nCustomer support<\/a> should not be a feature your customer must pay more for. It should be baked into the price of a product, and be part of the total positive experience the customer has with you and your company.\r\n