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How Customer Service Can Differentiate a Business
There was a manager who insisted that published company performance standards be met when it came to handling certain customer complaints. The problem was the customer was not satisfied with the results even though the standards had been met. This is a typical case of what happens when a company becomes regimented and fails to see the importance of customer satisfaction as opposed to rigid reporting against in-house performance measures.
In other words, a company exists to please customers through products sold and service, or services sold only. Companies which sell products still must provide good after-sale services in order to build a loyal customer base. Customers have certain standards in mind whenever they choose to do business with a particular company. How well you meet the customer’s standards as opposed to company set standards is the ultimate survival test for an organisation.
Training management and staff to understand this important difference is crucial to the long term profitability of a company. A customer may be primarily interested in the product reliability or is looking for a company which provides good service once the sale is completed. There is an old Beatles song which says, “All you need is love…” That is what a company wants their customers to feel like after any contact with the business…..loved.
Customer Ownership
Businesses used to create intense feelings of brand loyalty among customers. They did this by providing exceptional customer service that made the customer feel as if he or she is a partner in the business. The customer experience should result in feelings that include a sense of ownership and a desire for the company to succeed so products and services remain available.
In this age of impersonal internet selling and telephone service, developing a corporate culture which promotes this sense of brand loyalty is more important than ever. When a customer has developed this high level of loyalty, even problems with the product or services are more tolerated because the customer believes the company will handle such complaints appropriately and fairly.
Training company staff to handle all matters with customers in a way that is actually “brand loyalty selling” is one of the most important steps a company can take if it hopes to remain viable and competitive. Company staff must know how to respond to customer complaints, provide high quality direct selling service, and be able to always keep the overall organisation’s mission in mind.
A company that has a highly trained staff and well organized customer service functions is able to differentiate itself in a very competitive environment. By understanding the goals of high quality customer service, it doesn’t matter if contact with customers is through impersonal means such as the internet or through phone calls. Customers really don’t care how you contact them as much as they care about what you do once contact has been made.
An Adaptive Environment
Customer service is not a static principle. You cannot set up a customer service department and workflows and then never make changes. Organisational staff needs change. Customer requirements change. The marketplace changes. Technology changes. A business must create an adaptive environment which encourages company personnel to take leadership roles and the company should respond accordingly.
It all begins with a business mission which is then supported through effective staff training.
