{"id":13413,"date":"2020-05-27T16:54:58","date_gmt":"2020-05-27T21:54:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/?p=13413"},"modified":"2026-01-20T23:39:07","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T23:39:07","slug":"11-customer-service-psychology-secrets-that-go-down-the-funnel-not-down-the-drain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/11-customer-service-psychology-secrets-that-go-down-the-funnel-not-down-the-drain\/","title":{"rendered":"11 Customer Service Psychology Secrets that go Down the Funnel, Not Down the Drain"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading Time: <\/span> 15<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>

One major trait that defines top-notch customer service<\/a> is understanding consumer behavior \u2013the study of individuals, groups, or organizations and all the activities associated with the purchase, use, and disposal of goods and services, including the consumer’s emotional, mental and behavioral responses that precede or follow these activities.<\/span><\/p>\n

Creating a product that customers cherish is not an easy thing to do, especially if you don’t know what drives their buying behavior.<\/span><\/p>\n

Before you come up with a product or service, it\u2019s really helpful to tap into the world of consumer psychology<\/a> and borrow insights from there. This is important because the difference between brands that offer good customer service and amazing customer service is understanding consumer psychology.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So to help you attract, convince, and convert more people with your customer service, this article will walk you through 11 customer service psychology secrets. But before we get into that, let’s start by defining customer service psychology so that you get an in-depth understanding of what we talking about.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So, what is customer service psychology?<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

The idea behind customer service psychology is understanding not just the behaviors of the customers, but the emotions that drive them to behave in a certain way.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Customer service psychology takes a deep dive into how customers\u2019 thoughts, beliefs, feelings, and perceptions influence how we buy and relate to products and services. Customer service agents must have intelligence and insight into the actual and target customers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Without customer intelligence, it\u2019s impossible for customer service agents to understand customers, communicate better with them, enhance marketing effort and strategy, and to personalize service.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Understanding the emotions of customers isn\u2019t a stroll in the park, this is why many businesses try to cover up their lack of understanding of customer emotions by either adding more features to their services or lowering their prices so as to convince customers to buy from their brands.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But if I can be brutally honest, you really can\u2019t cover up your lack of emotional understanding for a long time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/div>\n

Nowadays customers are smart and savvy and once you fail to connect with them emotionally…expect a higher churn rate.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Whether your customers reach out to you via phone, email, or social media, they have to walk away with a positive experience regardless of how the conversation started.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The eCommerce industry has grown to be so fierce over the years and if your customer service department can\u2019t handle different customer emotions, then the sales will begin to plummet in no time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

11 Psychology Secrets that turn window shoppers to buyers\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Great customer service is much more than a purchase and an exchange of pleasantries. What makes customer service pay more dividends are the following 11 psychology secrets:<\/p>\n

1. Share your Brand Story<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n

Dr. Roger Schank, the author of Tell Me a Story: Narrative and Intelligence<\/a>, once said:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Humans are not ideally set up to understand logic; they are ideally set up to understand stories<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Yes, storytelling works… but why should <\/span>you<\/span><\/i> have to incorporate this flowery style into your customer service?<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/div>\n

Stories are a powerful way to connect with your customers and they are a very integral part of being persuasive. They are easy to understand, relate to and they have an ability to elicit different types of emotions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Do stories really hold that much influence in customer service?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Yes, especially when they address the customers\u2019 pain points and legitimate frustrations. In his book, Building a StoryBrand: <\/a><\/span>Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen<\/span><\/a>, Donald Miller says:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Your customer should be the hero of your story, not your brand \u2013 this is the secret every phenomenally successful business understands<\/span><\/i>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The truth is your customers want to be satisfied, they want their own happy ending. Stories<\/span> are able to transport our minds to another place, and in this place, we may embrace things we\u2019d likely scoff at in the harsh, real world.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For instance, Nike tells the stories of professional athletes who started out just like us and ended up becoming heroes after purchasing Nike sneakers and working so hard. This makes most people forget about the price;<\/span> people <\/strong>buy their story<\/b> and, consequently, the shoes that come with them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Personalize Customer Experience<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Consumers today have more choices than ever when it comes to the brands they want to work with. Unfortunately, businesses do not have that luxury, so they have to always compete against each other in order to maintain their customer bases and overall sales.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s very important now, more than ever, to show your customers how much they matter to you and your business.\u00a0 If you don\u2019t make their value clear, you risk losing them to any one of your company\u2019s online or real-world competitors!<\/span><\/p>\n

There are various ways you can show your customers that you care about them. One important way of doing so is<\/span> personalizing<\/span><\/a> their experience. <\/span>94%<\/span> of businesses say personalization is critical to their success.<\/span> In his <\/span>Decoding the New Consumer Mind: How and Why We Shop and Buy<\/span><\/a>, Kit Yarrow says:<\/span><\/p>\n

Today\u2019s consumers are less interested in aspirational brands; rather than admiring brands, they\u2019re more interested in brands that admire them, know them, and serve them.<\/span><\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Personalization goes beyond your communication with customers doesn\u2019t start and end with adding a name to an email, as most marketers would think. In fact, <\/span>60%<\/span><\/a> of marketers admit that they struggle to personalize the customer\u2019s experience in real-time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When it comes to personalizing your customers\u2019 experience, you don\u2019t have to struggle. There are relatively simple, yet sophisticated, ways to use personalization in your customer service that goes beyond just using a name.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are 4 ready-to-implement ways personalization in your customer service strategy:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  • Ask smart questions and listen to customer feedback<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Build <\/span>buyer personas\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n
  • Make use of your customers\u2019 location and time\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Set Up Automated Behavioral Trigger Emails<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Personalization starts with knowing the customer \u2013 or even better, remembering the customer. The good news is that nowadays, it\u2019s easy to track customer preferences and personalize customer experiences \u2013thanks to Customer Relationship Management (CRM).<\/span><\/p>\n

    3. Aim to fulfill Customers\u2019 Emotional Needs<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Every company you see out there is in the business of fulfilling the needs of their targeted audience. If you fail to satisfy the needs of your customer, you run out of business.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    By the end of this year, <\/span>45% of consumers<\/span><\/a> say they will switch brands if a company doesn\u2019t actively anticipate their needs.<\/span><\/p>\n

    You are probably wondering what exactly are customer needs?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Well, a customer need is a motive that prompts a customer to purchase a particular product or service. It drives the customer\u2019s buying decision. Customer needs can either be physical or psychological.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/div>\n

    Physical customer needs are easy to notice because they have a direct, measurable, and sometimes tangible cause. For example, if you are feeling sick, you need to see a doctor. If your website is loading slow, you need to have it fixed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Physical needs are important, but sometimes customers can buy something without being driven by any physical need. A good example of this is when customers do impulse buying.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    But what really drives a customer to make a purchase is not really the physical needs, but the psychological needs. This is why you often hear marketers say \u201ccustomers buy on <\/span>emotion<\/b> and justify with logic.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

    If your product doesn\u2019t quench customers\u2019 psychological or emotional needs, it\u2019s very difficult to compel customers to make a purchase.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    So how do you identify customers\u2019 emotional or psychological needs?<\/span><\/p>\n

    Good question! At Invesp we unlock customers\u2019 emotional needs using a framework known as the <\/span>Jobs-to-be-done<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n

    "Knowing all the customer\u2019s needs in a given market dramatically changes the way a company approaches the innovation process." – @Ulwick<\/a> <\/p>\n

    So, how many people in your organization today know
    all your customer\u2019s needs?    #jtbd<\/a> #UserExperience<\/a> #CustomerExperience<\/a> #mondaythoughts<\/a><\/p>\n

    — Invesp (@invesp) October 28, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n