Although Ireland might be a magnet for some of the world’s largest companies to set up shop, it’s clear that customer service still has a long way to go. In recent rankings of the best countries in the world for customer service, such as Zendesk’s Customer Satisfaction Index, Ireland appeared nowhere near the top.
In addition, many well-known Irish brands, such as Ryanair and EBS, are notorious for poor customer service and rock-bottom levels of customer satisfaction. Good customer service is absolutely essential for long-term business sustainability, which is why more Irish businesses need to make it a priority. Here are some ways that businesses across Ireland can improve their customer service.
Accessibility is Key
One of the first things that should be addressed here is the issue of accessibility, specifically for non-able-bodied people. A recent study found that Ireland is the least-accessible country in Western Europe for disabled people, specifically highlighting that shops, restaurants, banks, and offices were not doing nearly enough to accommodate disabled customers. There is no such thing as good customer service if some customers cannot even safely access your place of business, so make sure to check that your business is as inclusive as it can be.
Earn Trust
In the rankings of customer service, trust is often a key metric. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Irish companies that fare worst in such rankings tend to score very low when it comes to trust. That’s why companies should be doing more to build solid relationships with all customers that encourage high levels of trust. For inspiration, one could follow in the footsteps of the Irish Food Agency, Bord Bia, which was recently ranked by RepTrak as the most reputable and trustworthy company in the country. They achieved this via a policy of total transparency, accessible support staff, and a total commitment to honouring offers and obligations.
Focus on Long-Term Customer Loyalty
A crucial mistake that many businesses in Ireland and beyond tend to make is to focus too heavily on getting new customers in the door, without taking care of the ones they have. However, diverting more resources can make your business stand out from the crowd. One example of this strategy in action can be seen at Karamba, an online casino that offers real-money slot games to players in Ireland. Irishluck.ie did a review on Karamba casino and drew attention to the fact that, rather than simply offering welcome bonuses to attract new customers, Karamba focused on keeping ahold of existing ones with regular recurring offers, for more here, check out the casinoportal irishluck.ie for more information about the popular online casinos. Loyal customers are your most valuable asset, so make sure to keep them onside.
Be Generous and Straightforward
Finally, it is important that you treat your customers with respect, even if you feel that doing so might affect your bottom line. It pays dividends to have a generous and straightforward refund policy. Offer money-back guarantees so that customers can increase the trust in your brand. Make sure that your refund policy is easy and simple to understand, without any complicated legal jargon. This way, customers will know they value their business.
With these simple steps, Irish business can move towards improving their customer service reputation, for the benefit of customers and businesses alike.
