Mobile technology is key to customer service success

Smaller businesses risk being left in the shade by their larger counterparts when it comes to responding to customer queries quickly, claims research published today.

In the past year, smaller players have been binned by at least four customers each, racking up tens of thousands of pounds in losses.

But technology, particularly mobile solutions, could help redress the balance, according to the T-Mobile-commissioned YouGov survey.

Despite 56 per cent of respondents claiming that smaller firms are best when it comes to customer service, their actions don't live up to the theory.

Just one third of them see fit, or have the resources, to respond to customer enquiries or complaints immediately, with 88 per cent and 93 per cent preferring to reply to customer emails and return calls within 24 hours.

With managers spending 37 per cent of their time offsite, mobile technology could be the answer.

Almost a quarter of respondents who already make use of mobility suggest that it has increased their responsiveness by more than half.

"Evidence suggests that larger competitors are much quicker to respond to customers and this is a significant threat for small firms," said Derek Williamson, head of business marketing at T-Mobile.

"An immediate response to customers is the ideal but small companies should, at the very least, examine ways in which queries, either via email or phone, can be replied to within a maximum of one to three hours."

Williamson added: "By their very nature, small businesses are highly adaptable and are ideally placed to capitalise on the customer service opportunity. But at the same time resources can be limited. Therefore, it's important to consider how technology, especially internet enabled mobile devices, can be used to ensure that customer relationships are never jeopardised through a lack of responsiveness."

More than 60 per cent of small businesses encourage customer feedback, but alarmingly, 55 per cent of companies don't conduct any research or analysis into changing customer needs.

"Superior customer service is not a mysterious art that only large firms with thousands of employees can ever hope to deliver," said Williamson.

"By focusing on a commitment to delivering great service by exceeding expectation, small businesses can, not only compete, but thrive."

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