Did you ever have a situation where you were just “wowed”? I mean simply blown away by impeccable and far-reaching customer service. With so many vendors and increased competition customer service is so required with every organization.
One of the concerns with organization is the general lack of customer service. With this in mind many may wonder why customer service is so important. We live in a world with instantaneous access to information truly evokes positive and negative customer service issues.
Customer service today is important because:
- It aids marketing – the more customers get to know you company and its products the more influence there is on referrals and promotions.
- Service costs less – The value of customer to customer influences provoke others to notice your firm decreasing your cost of labor and advertising. One customer service message can save millions in attempting to acquire a new customer.
- Service aids morale and productivity – Simply put a happy workforce makes for better servers of customers.
Pragmatically, nothing happens in your organization without a customer therefore they are a purpose of business not an interrupter of it. Anything less is being dismissive.
I recall many years ago a consumer that was placed on infinite hold due to an issue he had with a telephone company. He waited so long that he become infuriated but worse he recorded the telephone conversation. The representative representing the communications company became belligerent and started screaming at the consumer. This only led to the clip appearing on the internet and receiving over 11 million downloads.
So if customer service is so important why do companies not place more emphasis? There are several reasons but the top issues include:
- A lack of focus – many feel there is not a problem.
- A lack of money – organizations simply place more attention to research and development rather than on clients.
- A lack of time – with increased competition there is little time to waste on clients.
Over time I have found the easiest way to be successful with customer expectations is to think about customer service from start. Every company needs to consider the importance of customer service as the basis of its operation.
If you treat people right they will tell others. In today’s competitive society customer to customer influences are extremely vital to every organization. So much so that almost every website, blog or other electronic communication informs prospective customers through case study and testimonial. When you treat your customers right they tell other customers. Trader Joe’s is a private company of nearly 300 stores, fashioned after an island trading post. Many employees are visibly thrilled to be there. Unlike mainstream supermarkets, these are a very engaging group of people. Employees are visibly excited about helping consumers and they constantly ask if shoppers need assistance. Growth has been organic because of the praise that prospective consumers gain from regulars.
It all begins with the culture of the organization. Good leaders that engage employees hire correctly and align with clients win. The Four Seasons, The Ritz Carlton and many others subscribe to the formula of “Customer First”. When employees focus on clients there is less labor, higher productivity, higher profits and more successful organizations.
What are best practices your organization provides for better customer service? Please share with us in the comment area below.
© 2011. Drew Stevens PhD. All rights reserved.
