If you’re serious about building a successful online business empire or expanding an existing footprint, then let me steal your undivided attention!
Defined as “the assistance or advice provided by a company to customers of its products or services”, customer service is crucial to the survival of any business.
Oftentimes, it occurs while performing a transaction for the customer when making a sale or returning an item. It can take the form of face-to-face interaction, phone calls, self-service systems online, or other similar means. Usually, the success rate of these interactions is dependent on the adaptability of employees to the personality and needs of the customer.
In order to deliver good customer service, you need to sharpen your knowledge of the products being sold. This awareness is vital in being able to clearly direct potential customers and help sort out their queries.
Secondly, the employee’s attitude is tantamount to impactful customer service. Greeting customers with a warm smile or friendly greeting is sometimes the difference between a growing and dwindling client base. Conversely, there is a fine line between professionalism and over-friendliness which, when crossed can leave the involved parties in an uncomfortable situation. In fact, a majority of consumers would favour an efficient service delivery, over a “nice but nothing” response.
Perhaps the most fundamental of skills to epitomize good customer service is that of problem-solving. This skillset involves; strong communication, resourcefulness, and patience- all of which are crucial to providing clarity when addressing tricky or technical queries.
Next, here are the top five reasons demonstrating the importance of customer service:
Firstly, good service results in higher customer satisfaction and thus garners more loyal customers for a company. In turn, this translates into an increase in sales, revenue, and overall profit. Doesn’t this sound like the perfect recipe for a fulfilling and sustainable business?
Secondly, retaining customers is by far cheaper than using marketing gimmicks and promotions to acquire new buyers. Therefore, you should empower your employees to deliver great customer service, which will develop brand loyalty amongst the target market.
Furthermore, the positive word-of-mouth formed as a by-product of good customer service is a free and effective marketing tool for attracting more consumers. In this way, you as the entrepreneur will not only lower your external costs but will also elevate your brand.
Moreover, customer service is important in reducing employee turnover as your company’s treatment of customers truly does resonate with employees. When employers treat customers with consistent care, a sense of pride is instilled in employees to mirror such service and remain within the company.
The fifth point to hit home is, good customer service elongates the life of a business while relaying a company’s commitment to its core values. This is significant as customers are more likely to support an enterprise that values them and positively responds to their demands.
You’d certainly agree that on a daily basis, we are all surrounded by examples of great, and not-so-great customer service.
Just a few days ago, I called a local service provider to inquire about their home Wi-Fi connection services. I was directed to a customer care employee who was bubbly and radiated warmth. At once, her positivity eased me into posing my query. It was a simple enough request and the server ought to have known how to assist accordingly. However, I was dismally disappointed when, instead of informed direction, I was flooded with an excessive number of excuses as to why she could not help me. And if that were not disgruntling enough, the operator promised that in two hours’ time, my inquiry would be answered by another department… Unfortunately, this answer has taken a rather long and unwarranted ‘leave of absence’!
Now ask yourself, if you were in this position, would you choose to purchase any service/product from the company? My guess is, that you would be just as reluctant to make any purchases, as the above operator was in answering my question!
I’ll now let you ruminate over the significance of good customer service with the wise words of investment mogul, Warren Buffet: “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to destroy it”.
Defined as “the assistance or advice provided by a company to customers of its products or services”, customer service is crucial to the survival of any business.
Oftentimes, it occurs while performing a transaction for the customer when making a sale or returning an item. It can take the form of face-to-face interaction, phone calls, self-service systems online, or other similar means. Usually, the success rate of these interactions is dependent on the adaptability of employees to the personality and needs of the customer.
In order to deliver good customer service, you need to sharpen your knowledge of the products being sold. This awareness is vital in being able to clearly direct potential customers and help sort out their queries.
Rock-star Customer Service
Secondly, the employee’s attitude is tantamount to impactful customer service. Greeting customers with a warm smile or friendly greeting is sometimes the difference between a growing and dwindling client base. Conversely, there is a fine line between professionalism and over-friendliness which, when crossed can leave the involved parties in an uncomfortable situation. In fact, a majority of consumers would favour an efficient service delivery, over a “nice but nothing” response.
Perhaps the most fundamental of skills to epitomize good customer service is that of problem-solving. This skillset involves; strong communication, resourcefulness, and patience- all of which are crucial to providing clarity when addressing tricky or technical queries.
Next, here are the top five reasons demonstrating the importance of customer service:
Firstly, good service results in higher customer satisfaction and thus garners more loyal customers for a company. In turn, this translates into an increase in sales, revenue, and overall profit. Doesn’t this sound like the perfect recipe for a fulfilling and sustainable business?
Secondly, retaining customers is by far cheaper than using marketing gimmicks and promotions to acquire new buyers. Therefore, you should empower your employees to deliver great customer service, which will develop brand loyalty amongst the target market.
Furthermore, the positive word-of-mouth formed as a by-product of good customer service is a free and effective marketing tool for attracting more consumers. In this way, you as the entrepreneur will not only lower your external costs but will also elevate your brand.
Moreover, customer service is important in reducing employee turnover as your company’s treatment of customers truly does resonate with employees. When employers treat customers with consistent care, a sense of pride is instilled in employees to mirror such service and remain within the company.
The fifth point to hit home is, good customer service elongates the life of a business while relaying a company’s commitment to its core values. This is significant as customers are more likely to support an enterprise that values them and positively responds to their demands.
You’d certainly agree that on a daily basis, we are all surrounded by examples of great, and not-so-great customer service.
Just a few days ago, I called a local service provider to inquire about their home Wi-Fi connection services. I was directed to a customer care employee who was bubbly and radiated warmth. At once, her positivity eased me into posing my query. It was a simple enough request and the server ought to have known how to assist accordingly. However, I was dismally disappointed when, instead of informed direction, I was flooded with an excessive number of excuses as to why she could not help me. And if that were not disgruntling enough, the operator promised that in two hours’ time, my inquiry would be answered by another department… Unfortunately, this answer has taken a rather long and unwarranted ‘leave of absence’!
Now ask yourself, if you were in this position, would you choose to purchase any service/product from the company? My guess is, that you would be just as reluctant to make any purchases, as the above operator was in answering my question!
I’ll now let you ruminate over the significance of good customer service with the wise words of investment mogul, Warren Buffet: “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to destroy it”.
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