People are always talking about how bad customer service is. It is a fundamental part of every business, yet it seems like companies don’t have a firm grasp on how to improve their departments or even whether or not they have good customer service. Here are some signs of bad customer service you may be experiencing in your company.

You don’t work with marketing

While customer service and marketing departments technically serve different purposes, they are both very much connected. Marketing doesn’t know what to focus on without the help of customer service’s feedback, and customer service can’t properly communicate with customers if they don’t know about current promotions. If you have a small company, these two sections of your business could potentially be run by the same person. A larger company might want to consider putting both departments on the same floor of the building to encourage more communication.

Only unhappy interactions

Many business owners think it is normal to only hear back from your customers when they are unhappy. And while it is true that many people only leave feedback when they are upset, a company that is doing really well should have moments of no customer interaction or positive interactions as well. Constant problems is concern for your company, and it will give your customers the appearance that you don’t care about their needs.

You aren’t using AI Chatbot

AI Chatbot is the ability to use artificial intelligence to communicate with your customers for you through text or messaging. Programs are able to recognize the questions being asked of them and then respond accordingly. It saves your customer service team time by not having to answer repetitive questions, and it is becoming the expectation for customers. They want it available, so they don’t have to always call in for a simple questions.

No repeat business or referrals

Even Millennials, the most not-loyal generation of customers we’ve seen so far, won’t switch companies if they like the product unless they have a problem. Many people don’t even tell you they are leaving but just stop buying your products. So, if most of your business is from new customers and you aren’t getting a lot of referrals, there’s probably a problem that isn’t being remedied by your customer service representatives.

Reps aren’t able to make decisions

One thing that is very common in customer service departments is that reps aren’t able to much more than answer the phone and try to calm the customer down. They aren’t allowed to make any decisions. A manager has to be called upon anytime the customer needs more than basic information. This increases a customer’s wait time to get their problem fixed and requires you to hire more management to make decisions. Instead, allow customer service reps to make decisions within the bounds you have set. For example, you could say that a rep can give a refund up to $50 to upset customers without having to talk to management. This gives them freedom to do what they think is right in the situation while also freeing up everyone’s time.

You are comfortable

Even if you have a really awesome customer service department that isn’t doing anything wrong, customer expectations are changing all the time. That means the way you service them should also be changing regularly. Don’t just be comfortable and satisfied with the way things are. Always look for ways to improve.