Customer service is everything. Indeed, if you don’t take care of your customers, someone else will… Yet, it seems that taking care of your customers is not even on the agenda with many Management meetings.
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Besides, the meetings are mostly about the sales performance against the budget or other trivial internal company matters. But, sadly, not about your customers.
What is customer service (or not)?
The textbook 1 definition of customer service is: “Customer service can be considered to be a set of functions or activities taking place in the customer-service department of an organization with the aim of dealing with customers and satisfying their demands, including complaints, claims handling, and billing.”
O my goodness… Really?
So, if I’m your customer, and I need to contact you for whatever, and I arrive at a call center, speaking to who knows, from far way, then I’ll get really pissed. Then instead of you been taking care of, you’re becoming the caretaker, trying to console the customer service agent when he/she finally breaks down because your simple request is beyond his/her comprehension…
Why is customer service everything?
So why should your company believe customer service is everything?
Swetha Amaresan writing in HubSpot mentioned reasons why customer service is everything:
1. Customer retention is cheaper than customer acquisition. As a result it’s cheaper to retain a customer than acquire one. In fact, it costs six to seven times more to acquire new customers than it does to retain existing customers 2.
2. Customer service represents your brand image, mission, and values. Indeed, the last thing that your customer remember about your company is how they’d experienced the buying journey. A good experience will make them feel appreciated.
3. Happy customer service employees will create happy customers. If you create a pleasant environment for your employees to work, they’ll make sure that customer service is everything.
4. Happy customers will refer others. The trusted word-of-mouth marketing channel. However, be warned that a bad experience by your customers will be told to many more people…
5. Good customer service encourages customers to remain loyal. Indeed, you should give a reason for your customers to stay loyal to your company. A good reason is to give the extraordinary service.
6. Customers are willing to pay more to companies who offer better customer service. In fact, customers that are served well usually are willing to pay premium prices for products.
7. Excellent customer service is a competitive advantage. Therefore, giving customers the best service may make the difference in competitive markets that sell identical products.
Concluding
Your Business cant survive without loyal and happy customers. So, let them know that customer service is everything. After all, its their money that pay the bills…
Read also: Paying Customers are Needed for Business Growth and Survival
Notes
1 Farahani, R. and Rezapour, S. 2011. Logistics operations and management: concepts and models, Elsevier.
2 Rahman, M.R. and Safeena, P.K., 2016. Customer Needs and Customer Satisfaction, Training Manual on Theeranaipunya – Equipping Fisherwomen Youth for Future, 43
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