Why do we expect so little from customer service?

We stream our favourite shows instantly, 74% of us abandon a website if it doesn’t load in 5 seconds, we order shoes for same day delivery and 78% of us now book our holidays online.

But in this world driven by instant gratification, customer service has fallen drastically behind.

Today 66% of UK consumers believe customer service has deteriorated over the past three years. Only 3% believe it has improved a lot.

Just last week Which? released a report slamming the 70% of travel companies that still use premium rate numbers for customer service and complaints.

But we’re not just receiving bad service; we accept it – over 70% of us satisfied if we hear back from companies within 24 hours whether for complaints or enquiries.

There should be a demand from consumers to raise the bar says entrepreneur and founder of leading learning holiday specialist GoLearnTo.com, Vanessa Lenssen.

“Every day our customer support team get comments from guests who are shocked to receive good service. The expectation is so low,” Lenssen said.

“It’s the British condition not to complain, but we think it’s wrong that people have come to expect so little from customer service. We encourage customers to demand it and we deliver it.”

Customer choice

When given the choice, the majority of customers will pick the lowest cost option to contact companies. Getting an answer as quickly and painlessly as possible is celebrated in today’s high-tech world.

Yet whilst self-service and Twitter are great for this, not everyone wants to use them. Good customer service is about responding to what people actually want, Lenssen said.

“This is particularly relevant in the travel industry. Booking a holiday is an emotional experience; it’s not a commodity product. It’s your precious leave, it’s your savings, it’s your chance to get a break and it has to be right.

“So if you want to call you should be able to use no premium rate phone numbers and speak to an expert straight away. If you email you should hear back at the very least within an hour, and Live Chat options should always be available. We offer all of this and we’re always looking for easier ways for customers to get in touch,” Lenssen said.

Last week Which? renewed its call for travel companies to be forced to comply with the EU Consumer Rights Directive, which states that customer helplines must charge no more than the basic rate.

Which? executive director Richard Lloyd said: “Going on holiday is meant to be a pleasure but there is nothing fun about being whacked with a costly call.

“It’s a disgrace that people face bumper bills just to ask a question or make a complaint about their travel booking.”

Hiding behind technology

Thanks to technology customer service should be at an all-time high, but instead companies are using self-service to hide bad service says Lenssen.

“So many online businesses hide their contact numbers and email addresses; all this does is build frustration and a lack of trust around your brand.”

GoLearnTo.com has grown rapidly from 100 to over 1000 learning holidays. Choice is great, but sometimes it can be overwhelming Lenssen said.

“We recognise that we’re growing and that we’re developing the website. But we ensure the customer service is there to support people through this growth. We are delivering more and more in every regard.”

It’s personal
 
Despite our push to instant self-service, booking a holiday is still about a personalised experience, Lenssen explains.
People want to know that behind their efficient self-service options, there is a real person who is easily accessible and who actually cares about you and your holiday.

“Fewer and fewer of us are happy to stay in a faceless all in-inclusive hotel on a beach that could be anywhere in the world. And the same goes for service. We offer more from our holidays and more from our service,” Lenssen said.

And its service that has customers coming back, with 86% of customers more likely to book again following a good customer experience and 78% of online customers recommending a brand to friends and contacts.

“This is something we’ve seen at GoLearnTo.com; a third of our guests book again within the same year. It’s not just about the holidays, it’s about the service they trust and rely on.” Lenssen said.

Vanessa Lenssen is available for interview and comment on request.

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Notes to Editors:

GoLearnTo.com are learning holiday specialists selling a range of over 1000 inspirational holiday courses in over 37 countries worldwide to suit all timescales and budgets.

GoLearnTo.com are nominees for two 2013 British Travel Awards in the categories for Best Special Interest Holiday Company and Best Singles Holiday Company.

All holidays are focused on learning a new skill or pursuing an existing hobby and include unique courses where you can learn a language, cook, flamenco dance, make your own perfume, surf, kitesurf, make Italian gelato, paint, horse ride, scuba dive, take photographs to be proud of, make jewellery and much more.
 
Vanessa Lenssen:

After working in senior roles for the likes of Virgin, STA Travel, TUI and MyTravel, founder and CEO of GoLearnTo.com, Vanessa Lenssen was inspired to create GoLearnTo.com after learning to kitesurf in Tarifa. There she had her lightbulb moment, realising that there might be others out there who could never really relax on holiday unless they switched their brain into ‘holiday mode’ by learning something new.

Vanessa has since gone on learning holidays in everything from skydiving, flamenco dance, to pastry making and everything in between.

Vanessa was awarded the SHINE corporate woman of the year award and was shortlisted for Red Magazine’s ‘Red Hot Women award’ in the online business category.

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References:
Online Travel Market, Which?, Fast Company, Channel, Temkin Group, ClickFox