I love lists, especially when it comes to learning. The list below was the result of a quick brainstorming session about the advantages of delivering a great customer service experience. I came up with many more, but wanted to create the “Top Ten List” for you.
1. Amazing customer service builds credibility, trust and confidence, which can lead to customer loyalty.
2. It can help the marketing and sales budget. It costs less to keep existing customers than it does to create new ones.
3. Delivering amazing service creates a buzz, word-of-mouth marketing and referrals, again helping the marketing budget.
4. Delivering amazing customer service can lead to existing customers buying more.
5. Customer service saves money. When you do it right the first time, you don’t have to fix it the next time.
6. Customer service can give your company an advantage over competitors.
7. Amazing customer service can make price less relevant.
8. Customer service focused companies are usually employee focused companies, thereby creating a better place to work.
That means lower turnover, which could mean savings in hiring, training and more.
9. Customer service superstar companies are usually more profitable than the ones that aren’t.
10. Customer service helps get and keep customers… because without customers, you don’t have a business.
As you look at the list, what other ideas and strategies do you think about? I would love for you to send me what you would add to the list. As an incentive, when you send me your submission you will receive a 20 page report – actually what I call a “manifesto” – about “The Cult of the Customer.” It contains a synopsis of the five phases/cults both employees and customers go through on their way to creating “Amazement.” It also contains excerpts from my new speech based on the book.
Thanks for reading and I can’t wait to get your feedback and ideas!
Hi there
An interesting list, and all of your 10 points focus on tangibles… saving costs or generating more revenue.
If service adds so much to a company, and is a relative no brainer…. why is it so few companies hit the heights when it comes to service?
I can count on one hand companies in the UK who have made a positive statement through service.
Is it because service is expensive to deliver, hard to control, is it a natural thing or does it have to be managed to the nth degree detail.
I know from the client and customer surveys we deliver for our clients, the consumer (b2b and b2c) is seldom left in a high state of anticipation for their next encounter and instead are often left in a state of apathy.
Interesting stuff to stimulate the brain matter!
Ted Levitt said, “Service is a feeling – you only know how good it is when it’s not there.”
Customers can feel the difference and we need to know what they are feeling.
It’s like quality – if a person can’t see what you are talking about – they won’t be able to match your quality expectations. e.g. if you point out to a waiter the restaurant doesn’t look too clean, and the waiter looks around and says, “where – what’s the problem?” then walk out, don’t waste your time pointing things out.
Service is usually many little things that add up to a feeling that brings people back time after time. Feelings are mostly delivered by people – your staff can make a huge contribution to ‘a good service feeling.’