Customer Service Is the New Marketing: Customer Feedback Matters

CHICAGO, May 15, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- For today's business, the value in harnessing customer feedback internally and externally has never been more important.  As smartphone penetration accelerates, it's critical for businesses to manage customer satisfaction -- and to be involved in how that satisfaction is portrayed across the web.

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Word-of-mouth advertising has long been recognized as the primary factor behind 20% to 50% of all purchasing decisions; in today's mobile friendly, digital world, consumer testimonials and online reviews have become the default way within search results for consumers to judge the viability of a business to meet their needs. 

Empower customers to create decision-making content

According to Gib Olander, CEO, Local Viewpoints, "Reviews have become the go-to decision-making content when performing local searches. Studies show that 90% of people use online reviews to make buying decisions.  It's become evident that there aren't enough reviews on enough businesses."

Local Viewpoints surveyed of more than 1,000 consumers who do not write reviews, finding that the number-one reason why is the process of writing a review is too tedious. [SEE INFOGRAPHIC]

Making it easy for more customers to provide feedback in the form of online reviews or testimonials is critical to helping businesses grow.

The digital suggestion box

The prevalence of smartphones creates a new opportunity to reinvent the suggestion box.

Historically, customer feedback has been painstaking to collect and expensive to analyze, however companies who do thrive.  Other studies show 40% of customers say improved service is a key driver to spending more money with a company.

Additionally, people are talking about customer service experiences more then ever before. In 2012, people were 40% more likely to communicate about a positive experience then they were just a year before.

With more people talking about the customer buying experience and more prospects looking for this digital word-of-mouth, businesses can capitalize on this emerging trend by taking a fresh look at collecting, analyzing and publishing feedback in today's smartphone-friendly world.

Local Viewpoints is a Wavetable Labs company (https://local.viewpoints.com) that helps businesses maximize the value of their existing customers by enabling them to tap into the power of digital world of mouth and actionable consumer insights.

Contact: Gib Olander 312-447-6116

SOURCE Local Viewpoints