The researchers delved into the world of customer service to explore a fascinating question: Can a simple change in language transform customer satisfaction? Through five robust studies, including an analysis of over 1,000 real consumer-employee interactions in diverse field contexts, they unraveled the power of linguistic concreteness.
Their findings revealed that when employees use tangible, specific, and imaginative language, customers experience higher levels of satisfaction, are more willing to make purchases, and tend to buy more. This is because customers perceive employees who use concrete language as attentive and understanding of their needs, leading to positive shifts in consumer behavior.
These groundbreaking findings not only shed light on how language shapes consumer behavior, but also uncover the psychological mechanism through which concreteness influences person perception. With practical implications for managers, this research highlights a simple yet effective way to enhance customer satisfaction by harnessing the power of language in customer interactions.
Read the research: How Concrete Language Shapes Customer Satisfaction
