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People Matters: Service

Service: Staff Attitude Indifference

When our fitness professionals “service” members like them on the floor and don’t approach those “not like” them – are they servicing members or creating further disconnect highlighting that certain members don’t belong?

There are very few industries as dependent on staff as ours. Our staff controls our entire destiny. From the Front Desk to the Membership Sales team to the Childcare Center to the Fitness Floor to the Group Fitness Studio to the Lounge and Locker Room… and let’s not forget Member Services/Billing and Management on issues that invariably arise…

General Statistics from the SalesForce Blog:

• 42% of service agents are unable to efficiently resolve customer issues due to disconnected systems, archaic user interfaces, and multiple applications. (Forrester)
• 45% of US consumers will abandon an online transaction if their questions or concerns are not addressed quickly. (Forrester)
• It is 6-7 times more costly to attract a new customer than it is to retain an existing customer. (White House Office of Consumer Affairs)
• 89% of consumers have stopped doing business with a company after experiencing poor customer service. (RightNow Customer Experience Impact Report)
• Consumers are 2 times more likely to share their bad customer service experiences than they are to talk about positive experiences. (2012 Global Customer Service Barometer)
• 26% of consumers have experienced being transferred from agent to agent without any resolution of their problem. (2012 Global Customer Service Barometer)
• A customer is 4 times more likely to buy from a competitor if the problem is service related vs. price or product related. (Bain & Co.)
• 33% of consumers would recommend a brand that provides a quick but ineffective response. (Nielsen-McKinsey)
• 17% of consumers would recommend a brand that provides a slow but effective solution. (Nielsen-McKinsey)
• It takes 12 positive customer experiences to make up for one negative experience. (Parature)
• Consumers prefer assistance over the following channels: Phone (61%), email (60%), Live Chat (57%), online knowledge base (51%), “click-to-call” support automation (34%). (eConsultancy)
• 45% of companies offering web or mobile self-service reported an increase in site traffic and reduced phone inquiries. (CRM Magazine)
• 81% of companies motivate employees to treat customers fairly, and 65% provide effective tools and training to gain trust with their customers. (Peppers and Rogers Group)
• 70% of buying experiences are based on how the customer feels they are being treated. (McKinsey)
• 55% of consumers would pay more for a better customer experience. (Defaqto Research)
• 83% of consumers require some degree of customer support while making an online purchase. (eConsultancy)
• Customer churn is attributed to the poor quality of customer service. (Accenture Maximizing Customer Retention Report)
• A 10% increase in customer retention levels result in a 30% increase in the value of the company. (Bain & Co)

What do we know? We know that we are only as good as our last member’s experience with our Team. Is your team treating every member exactly the way you personally would treat that member? These people are not “units” they are all individuals with their own dreams, aspirations, desires and goals. They came to us for solutions and for us to be a support system, a friendly environment – a place of positive experience and in many cases connection. Let’s all revisit the personal aspects that drove us to this industry and that drives our staff. Service is not a department, just like retention is not a department – it’s a culture. Sales and Service are two sides of the same coin. If you want to cash in – make sure your value proposition Wows… And that is only done through our people…

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