When you mention customer service to the average consumer, the odds of getting positive.associations are slim. The truth is, not all companies know what they have to do to attract and retain customers yet they still wonder why they are not doing as good as they should be. Here is an excerpt from an article by Don Peppers over on LinkedIn:
“Unfortunately too many businesses still seem to embrace the idea that customers are essentially “service problems” to be resolved and served as inexpensively as possible. For a business following this reasoning, a customer is just an obstacle lying between the business and a higher bottom-line profit. The more customers, the more obstacles must be overcome and problems handled.
And before you thumb your nose at this idea, ask yourself whether the customer service budget at your company is treated as a cost of doing business, or as an investment designed to improve shareholder value.”
Here are a few ways to keep your business’ positive cash flow by providing customers with the best service you possibly can.
- Treat all customers equally and make sure to treat them well. Old customers became old customers because they found a reason to keep coming back to you so you must make sure that you keep it that way by treating them as you would new ones. They are the ones who remained loyal so offer them the deals you offer new customers as well. Make them want to keep patronizing your establishment.
“New customers are routinely wooed with special discounts for services like pay TV and newspaper subscriptions. Existing customers, on the other hand, can expect regularly escalating bills unless they put up a fight or beg for a price break. Why do businesses treat loyal customers this way?
The short answer is that the pricing structure that favors new customers makes business sense, even though it’s also guaranteed to annoy many existing customers. Jacking up prices is standard business practice for pay TV, wireless plans, and newspaper and magazine subscriptions, and the short-lived special perks and introductory rates on credit cards and bank accounts work in the same way too.” –Brad Tuttle, Time.com
While that may work to make you profits in the short-term, it will definitely not gain you any loyal customers.
- Take action when you get complaints. When a customer complains, it means there is an aspect of your business that is not performing as best it can. It means that there is something you can change to make your company better so make sure to listen to what your customers have to say and make changes when deemed fit. Provide them with channels for feedback, be it a survey or a RingCentral 800 number.
- Understand the customer’s perspective. It can be easy to disregard the level of service customers get when the employees look at it from their perspective only. Make sure they understand where the customers are coming from and let them imagine how they would feel if they were treated the same way. Also, ask them how they would feel if they got the same treatment.The importance of customer service is paramount because it is one of the few ways a customer gets to interact with the company. Without customers, a business can easily go belly up. The good news is that you do not have to spend a lot of money just to improve customer service; take a bit of time and consideration to give your customers a reason to give you their loyalty.
About the author:
Edward is an article writer that talks about business and technology. He contributed different business and technology related articles like gadgets review, latest tech news, small business phone guides and business phone service in different websites. Aside from writing, he also loves to read books, to travel and do skydiving during his free time.
