The State Of Customer Service Today
Posted by admin at 07:32 | Filed In Customer Service Tools
What is customer service? Ask a few people, and each will have their own opinion on what is good customer service. I have come to a define customer service in a very simple way. It is simply a method of showing respect for an individual in which you are in contact, either in person, over the phone, via email, or in your car; you will be in constant contact with people and in my view, all individuals are customers.
Sadly enough there are few examples of good customer service out there and it seems that companies do not invest any effort into the current workforce to train them on the subject. What does this mean when our economy is largely service oriented yet lacks many examples of good customer service?
It means that today, if your company exhibits good customer service skills, you automatically have a step up on your competitors. Many people today consistently complain about poor service, rude employees, and outright contempt toward them. If the same customers come to you and you show simple respect and even a moderate amount of goodwill you have already set yourself apart from what now seems the majority.
Why would so many people even consider treating a customer as though they are an interruption from work, when it is specifically because of the customer that the work is required? To me and others, it seems that todays workforce is not equipped with the necessary awareness that the customer is the source of income, and therefore should not be treated as a mere irritant. However, even without training one would think that common sense could prevail. Most can define what they consider good customer service, yet many of the same individuals will not provide service they wish others would give to them. Is this more of the chicken before the egg syndrome or simply the fact that all of us need some frequent reminders in common manners and decency?
If today you are seeking to set yourself apart from your customers, you will want to make quality customer service a priority and treat all your new and existing customers with goodwill and provide an inviting relationship that can be long lived. Failure to do so can result in many negatives.
For example, it has been shown that customers have very long memories. They will repeat negative feelings toward a company or product longer than 20 years. Most customers will not return to do business again after a single poor experience even if they have a working relationship or shopped at your store for years. Of course, free advertising of the worst kind is also on the top of the list. The scorned will often tell their friends, family, co-workers, and anyone they can of their horrible experience.
The bottom line is that today it seems easier than ever to stand out above the crowd of businesses by simply providing something many companies and individuals have placed as a secondary concern. It does not matter the industry you are in, as all contacts are in some way your customer. The next time you have the opportunity to interact with a customer, remember simple courtesy, respect, and a focus on customer service. This will be far less expensive than the alternative, and often far more enjoyable for all involved.
Article by: Larry Allen
Technology and Marketing Advisor
Gayla Allen - Realtor
http://www.gaylaallen.com
Link to Blog: http://gaylaallen.com/blog
Larry Allen has joined as the technology and on-line communications adviser for the Gayla Team. His duties include managing and advising on all aspects of on-line presence awareness, marketing and web design along with all the latest in modern communication methods.
Larry has nearly 20 years of working in the technology field as a systems analyst for large corporations including Thermo Fisher Scientific, Times Mirror, AchieveGlobal, TMP worldwide, and with several startup ventures including Flipdog.com, Whizbang labs and Echopass Corporation.
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