A recent study shows that customer service is the biggest factor impacting the reputations of businesses.

Half of respondents to a recent study claim that quality of customer service is most likely to impact how they feel about a brand, and 31% of respondents say they have advised friends and family to avoid a brand following a bad customer service experience. The research shows that poor customer service has more of a detrimental impact on a business’s reputation than any other factor.

According to the ‘Make Every Conversation Report’ by FM Outsource, other factors stated as impacting reputation included price (32%), social media presence (18%) and advertising (15%). The vast majority (80%) of respondents believe customer service to be indicative of a brand’s attitude towards its customers. The report surveyed 1,000 people in total.

FM Outsource CCO, Martin Brown, says: “There is still a tendency among many businesses to treat customer service as an additional overhead, rather than an integral growth opportunity. 

“In the challenging business landscape ahead, reputation will be crucial to organisations’ ongoing success. It’s therefore clear from our report that outstanding customer service will be an invaluable tool when it comes to not only retaining, but also attracting customers.”