Providing outstanding customer service is one of the most rewarding yet challenging activities within any organization. Exceptional organizations that provide outstanding customer service generate bigger revenues, better margins and have less staff turnover.
We think that most organizations agree with this concept and yet trying to find exceptional customer service remains troublesome – mediocre service is commonplace and poor service is rampant. There are thousands of papers, books and documents on the subject and we thought we might as well add our two cents after all, it couldn’t hurt could it?
We hold that it is fundamentally down to the corporate attitude toward service and the customer.
An organization serious about delivering top quality service needs to constantly work on its attitude and the team’s attitude to providing outstanding customer service. All employees and contractors are customer service leaders and should be held accountable as such.
The organization needs to set the right tone and to ensure that everyone is motivated by the corporate attitude. If the organization truly values the customer, the team will follow the lead and provide outstanding customer service. If the organization views the customer as the enemy, the employees will follow this lead and communicate this negative attitude to the customers they serve.
Why value the customer? Well here are some widely available research stats:
• Most customers will spend up to 10 percent more for the same product with better service.
• When a customer receives good service, he or she tells 9 to 12 people on average.
• When a customer receives poor service, he or she tells up to 20 people.
• An 82 percent chance exists that customers will repurchase from a company if their complaints are handled quickly and pleasantly.
• If the service is really poor, 91 percent of retail customers won’t go back to a store.
Another recent survey found that 98 percent of customer interactions were faster and more efficient when the service provider took the time to establish a relationship and create a rapport with the customer.
Every customer service experience is a learning experience that is preparing the organization for future opportunities. Understanding the customer’s “pain” and creating empathy for outstanding customer service solutions drives resolution and innovation. Gathering continuous feedback and having the “courage to listen” to the customer service team’s responses is critical in developing service strategies that differentiate you from the competition.
Customer service team members, because they are on the frontline, can provide the organization with excellent information on how to service the customers.
A customer-focused company has one eye on profits and the other eye on how best to serve its customers. We need to remember that profit and market share are the product of listening to customers and acting upon their needs.
Ultimately we need to recognize and understand that customer service is not a department, it’s an attitude…..
Attitude Adjustment
Optimize Blog - April 25, 2016 - 0 comments