What do you think good customer service is? Almost every business says they provide good customer service, but do they really do that well? It's a little-known secret that excellent customer service can be amazingly effective for a business to differentiate itself in a market crowded with competition. For a small business with no deep pockets, quality of their service can be the ultimate tool to compete with larger companies.
But unfortunately, many a business — small and big — falls short here. They all talk about it but few actually get it.
I think customer service follows the simple rule — treat others how you would want to be treated, and what we as customers expect when we are on the receiving end is the same that should drive our own efforts as sellers. Serving is the essence of customer service and when the foundation of a business, big and small, is not built upon this, that business cannot create customer loyalty. Good customer service relationships are based on trust and it must be genuine, not show off.
Consistent performance is another building block of good customer service. Your product must work as expected, and your service should be provided as expected, every time. Also, consistency must be maintained not just in terms of customer-employee interactions, but customer service must also be consistent in all possible areas, for example, across different stores and different regions, in terms of product delivery, while dealing with customer complaints, etc.
Customer service is more an approach than a theory, but I think it is equally important to act strategically. You must involve every person and every aspect of your business to your customer service program and train up a competent customer service staff. You must know your customers thoroughly, provide them with multiple channels of communication to make your customer service easily accessible. You must collect customer feedback and work on them. Details may vary by industry, but I think these basics are a sound starting point.
And what if things go wrong? Consider customer complaints as the schoolbooks from which you can learn, and turn every complaint into good publicity. Mistakes do happen but ironically it is in these unpleasant moments bonds with your customers can be best forged. When things go wrong your customers' sensitivities are heightened and you can capture the advantage. Just make a sincere apology, be quick to set things right, and give something extra, like extra services, special assistance, etc.
Customer service doesn't cost a small business much, and I think whatever costs it involves that should be seen not as costs but as intelligent investment. Excellent customer service is what helps a business build customer loyalty and create a brand of itself. It is what enables a small business to stand out and compete even with the big boys in the market, without worrying much about the budget constraints. |
