12 Examples of Bad Customer Service and How to Fix Them

how to improve bad customer service

Last Updated: November 2024

Your product may be exceptional, but it could all be for nothing if your customer service doesn’t measure up. Knowing how to improve bad customer service is crucial, as poor support can severely impact your reputation, leading to a loss of customers and diminished brand loyalty.

A 2023 study revealed that 61% of consumers switched to a competitor after experiencing poor customer service. 

how to improve bad customer service

This statistic shows how crucial it is to ensure your support team is fully equipped to provide excellent service. In this blog, we’ll look at common bad customer service mistakes and provide actionable tips on how to improve bad customer service in your business.

What is Bad Customer Service?

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A business commits bad customer service when it fails to meet customer expectations with qualities like responsiveness, communication, and support. It may feel cheap to you if the staff is not sufficiently prepared or does not have the empathy to help. Modern-day consumers are quick to share negative experiences with their friends on social media platforms, so companies must keep their eyes open.

To steer clear of bad customer service, it’s essential to understand common mistakes and, more importantly, know how to improve bad customer service in a structured and efficient way.

1. Inefficient Customer Support Team

The unskilled customer support team is the major reason for the poor level of service. Imagine the situation when the only way you can speak with an insurance company representative is if that representative is not able to get access to the information on your policy which is wrong. Frustrating, correct? A staff that is not well-equipped will create more problems than they will solve which may result in your brand’s bad image.

How to Improve Bad Customer Service: 

Have the team familiarised with the products. This can be done through workshops and new product release lessons. Another way is to share the list of important issues faced by the customers and thus the solutions directly between all the agents to create an open communication culture. Agents can, on the other hand, turn to the customer’s preferred choice of actions.

2. Lack of Empathy

Your clients regularly come to you when they are dissatisfied or annoyed. Mistreating from the support team can quickly be a catalyst for tension. Enterprises are faced with difficulties in establishing trustworthy and loyal customer relationships because they sometimes lack empathy in their customer interactions.

How to Improve Bad Customer Service: 

Make empathy a core value of your business. Employ customer service agents who instinctively feel for others and are interested in fixing issues. Give your agents as much time as needed to get to know the customer’s issue, rather than pushing them through calls. 

The use of technology like AI-powered chatbots can predict customer issues before they become problems, allowing providers to offer personalized assistance.

3. Excessive Call Transfers

Call transfers are at times needed, but when customers are constantly juggled from agent to agent, they will soon be annoyed. More than one transfer can lead to time being wasted and also to a bad customer experience.

How to Improve Bad Customer Service: 

Improve your call routing system by minimizing call transfers. Manage all incoming calls by location-based or status-based routing to make sure that the calls reach the correct department or agent from the start. This also eliminates the need for unnecessary transfers, hence providing the customers with quicker and more precise service.

4. Difficulty Reaching Support

how to improve bad customer service

When clients find it difficult to communicate with your support team, their response may be to give up, thus, the issues they face will stay unclear. Easy customer support access is a key prerequisite for delivering good customer experiences.

How to Improve Bad Customer Service: 

Offer multiple communication channels, such as phone, email, live chat, and social media. According to Zendesk, 40% of consumers value having multiple contact options. Make sure these channels are accessible and easy to use so that customers can reach your team through their preferred method.

5. Long Response Times

Everyone would agree that waiting endlessly for help is both difficult and annoying. If your response is slow and you are not in a hurry, your customer will go away, as well as in a time of quick service, it often is necessary to provide help right away.

How to Improve Bad Customer Service: 

Take response time as a concern. Your company shall use the auto-response system that is properly programmed to inform the customer of the prompt processing of their issue and the anticipated time of the solution. Furthermore, try to fix the problems by adding employees to these slots or scheduled timelines to efficiently solve peak call traffic issues.

6. Not Listening to the Customer

Many customer service agents are so interested in getting a fast solution that they fail to actually know or understand the customer’s concerns. This can make the customers feel like they are being blown off and leave them unsatisfied.

How to Improve Bad Customer Service: 

Reform your actors to listen attentively and ask pertinent questions. Advise them to track conversations through the recording and catching each and every bit of information. Not only does hearing out the client help solve the problem more efficiently but it also makes them feel appreciated and valued.

7. Lack of Personalization

Treating customers alike, whereby their concerns and preferences are ignored, is tantamount to commencing poor services. Because my customers would like to see themselves in a peaceful and comfortable place, I had to include some furniture and décor that would have such an effect.

How to Improve Bad Customer Service: 

Personalize your interactions by using customer data to offer tailored solutions. Address customers by their names and reference past interactions. Showing that you know and understand their history with your company builds trust and makes them feel valued.

8. No Follow-Up

When a customer’s issue is resolved, one way for the company to consider the job done is to ignore it. However, a follow-up should be done to avoid the possible presupposition that the company is not concerned with the overall customer experience.

How to Improve Bad Customer Service: 

Add a follow-up system to the service. After an issue has been resolved, do a follow-up with the customer that the problem has not reappeared and that everything is still going well. This proves that you care about their satisfaction not only at the moment of the problem being sorted out but overall.

9. Lack of Accountability

When the agents commit mistakes, the failure to apologize to the customers can leave them feeling quite angry while the latter ones themselves get disillusioned. A fork in the blame road or disassociation can only exacerbate the situation.

How to Improve Bad Customer Service: 

Create an environment of accountability among your team members. Instruct the agents to own up to their mistakes and concentrate on coming up with a solution. Transparency is the base of trust and it shows the customer that your company will take care of the situation.

10. Inconsistent Service Across Channels

Undoubtedly a consistent human experience over all mediums is essential. If one department of email support provides quick and efficient service but the other department of phone support gives poor services, the client may still detect the discrepancy.

How to Improve Bad Customer Service: 

Normalize the customer service protocol of all means of customer support. Ensure the reiteration of uniform treatment by all employees, whether they are responding to live chats, emails, or phone calls.

11. Unresolved Issues

Leaving customer problems unresolved leads to frustration and erodes trust. A single unresolved issue can turn a loyal customer into a detractor.

How to Improve Bad Customer Service: 

To implement a system that tracks customer issues and ensures nothing falls through the cracks, it’s essential to regularly review unresolved cases and prioritize finding a resolution before customer frustration escalates. This proactive approach can significantly improve bad customer service by ensuring no issue is overlooked, leading to faster resolutions and increased customer satisfaction.

12. Overuse of Scripts

Scripts are useful, but over-relying on them can make customer interactions feel robotic and impersonal. Customers want to talk to real people, not machines.

How to Improve Bad Customer Service: 

Allow your agents to use scripts as a guide, but give them the freedom to personalize conversations. This flexibility enables agents to engage in genuine dialogue, fostering more meaningful interactions and leaving customers feeling appreciated. By doing so, you can improve bad customer service by ensuring that each conversation feels unique and tailored to the customer’s needs, rather than robotic or impersonal.

What Are the Strategies for Preventing Customer Dissatisfaction?

how to improve bad customer service

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Preventing customer dissatisfaction requires a proactive approach focused on understanding and addressing customer needs. First, implement clear and accessible communication channels, such as live chat or AI chatbots, to resolve issues quickly. Regularly collect feedback through surveys or reviews to identify problems with customer service and adjust your services accordingly. 

Another key strategy is to train customer support teams to be empathetic and solution-oriented, ensuring that every interaction feels personalized and responsive. Offering self-service options, like FAQs and knowledge bases, empowers customers to find solutions on their own, reducing frustration. Additionally, providing timely updates on service disruptions or delays can prevent negative experiences. 

How Do You Approach Problem Solving When Dealing with Customers?

When approaching problem-solving with customers, it’s essential to listen actively and empathize with their concerns. Start by fully understanding the issue through open communication, and asking clarifying questions to pinpoint the root cause. Once identified, offer a clear and practical solution while keeping the customer informed throughout the process. 

Maintaining transparency and setting realistic expectations builds trust. If the problem is complex, provide regular updates to reassure the customer that you’re working on it. These strategies are fundamental in understanding how to improve bad customer service and ensure a positive outcome. 

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Conclusion

how to improve bad customer service

Every company makes mistakes, but the key is learning from them. Improving your customer service can directly impact your bottom line, with 89% of consumers being more likely to return after a positive service experience. By recognizing where your service falls short and understanding how to improve bad customer service, you can create a stronger, more customer-focused brand that fosters loyalty and growth.