Never underestimate the power of one unhappy customer.

Smart use of software can eliminate 'cable guy syndrome,' and save jobs.

By Moshe BenBassat, Chairman and CEO, ClickSoftware

Companies recognize how important the quality of service is when it comes to customer acquisition and retention, and that a drop in customer satisfaction can have a significant impact on a company's success or failure. Yet, Accenture's latest study of global business reports that customer satisfaction ratings have dropped by double-digits in each of the last two years. This finding is not surprising considering that customers today are more demanding then ever, and when expectations are unmet – people talk.

In fact, never underestimate the power of one unhappy customer. 90% share bad experiences with friends, colleagues and 'followers' online. With Twitter, Facebook and other social media networks, individual bad experiences become amplified and are eventually reflected in customer satisfaction ratings.  Adding fuel to the fire: Management's statements about "putting the customer first"- if not backed by action, or worse are made in the context of headcount reduction - backfire as lipservice.

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