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Businesses that neglect to invest in customer service are putting their customer relationships at risk, according to the second annual TD Canada Trust Customer Loyalty Poll.   Ninety five per cent of Canadians said their customer service experiences can make or break a relationship with a particular brand or company, up 10 per cent from last year.  While many businesses explore innovative ways to show their appreciation of their customers, the poll found that good service was most important, with 49 per cent of Canadians ranking “just good customer service” as number one.   Reward/loyalty programs and gifts were a distant second and third at 18 per cent and 17 per cent respectively.  “Service is the number one deciding factor for people when they are choosing a company to deal with, and it’s the hardest thing to get right,” said Tim Hockey, Group Head, Canadian Banking and President and CEO, TD Canada Trust.
“We’ve found that good customer service has a ripple effect, in fact our poll shows that 89 per cent of people will share their positive stories with their friends and family,” said Hockey.  The best customer service levels were reported in British Columbia, at 81 per cent compared to 73 per cent nationally. Additionally, in B.C. price discounts were rated as the best way to show appreciation for their business (24 per cent).  Ninety six per cent of people in BC often share stories about good experiences with friends and family.
All of this begs the question, what is your company doing to build a culture of customer service and what are the implications for a business when the most valued factor in customer service is price?