Brand loyalty is what keeps your customers coming back regardless of price. It means they’ve come to believe you deliver a superior product or service and level of customer service that is worth whatever amount you’re charging. Which means consumers who are loyal to your brand will most likely remain loyal even if they encounter a few bumps in the road. Brand loyalty is basically the holy grail of consumerism, and is worth striving for in every dimension of your business. And more and more one of the leading dimensions for deepening brand loyalty is your call center.
In today’s market direct contact with customers is usually next to impossible. Massive brands require massive communication to reach massive numbers of customers. Unfortunately, by design this also means fewer customers experience a real sense of connection with your brand. This puts call center agents in a unique position, because they are at the crossroads where your brand and your customers meet.
Yes this is a cliché. But clichés are clichés for a reason … because they’re true. Your business may have spent years cultivating its brand in the hearts and minds of your customers, but it only takes one bad experience with a call center rep to undo all that effort. Creating brand loyalty means that from the top down, your company’s brand values need to be faithfully communicated and that includes the message being sent by your call center agents.
On the other hand, if your business is committed to delivering on its brand promise through every channel, including the call center, you have a tremendous opportunity to deliver the goods to your customers. Nothing does more to positively impact a customer’s impression of your business than having their expectation exceeded during a customer service call. Experiencing your brand values first hand creates trust, and trust leads to brand loyalty.
I did some poking around the interwebs and found this brutally honest graphic to help make my point. Thanks to the folks at Get Satisfaction for slapping this helpful image together.
The good news is that if you’re working with good people, and your brand message is clearly articulated, you have a fantastic opportunity to leverage your call center agents to strengthen brand loyalty in your customers. Yes there is also a down-side, but at least the opportunity to connect with your customers hasn’t been completely obliterated by automated technology. So make the most of it! And make sure your call center is on message!