| Customer service can often be seen by businesses | | | | becomes unreachable. The customers are then |
| as a necessary evil, a burden on the finances and | | | | transferred to a less technical, less responsive, slower |
| something to try to provide at minimal cost. To see it | | | | and less capable business which is labeled customer |
| this way is, however, a gross oversight. Ask yourself | | | | service, and which pays little attention to the customer |
| what is the most important asset a company has? In | | | | and offers little in the way of proactive help. |
| almost every case it will be the customer base. | | | | The two businesses appear quite distinct in character. |
| Customers make or break a company. Too few | | | | This discovery can give rise to a previously |
| customers and no business can survive. Effective, high | | | | unconsidered business element, which are those lurking |
| quality customer support can create an image for a | | | | behind these two faces, driving the business forward |
| business which sets it apart from its competitors. If you | | | | by portraying these two quite opposite and contrasting |
| treat your customers with care, consideration and | | | | faces by way of a sales tactic. This can completely |
| patience, providing a service which genuinely tries to | | | | undermine any faith, loyalty or appeal generated by the |
| help resolve concerns or issues, then customers are | | | | first face that the business chose to portray. |
| far more likely to return to your company time and | | | | This is a shame, because those few businesses that |
| again. | | | | are able to maintain this same attitude through from |
| Not only is customer loyalty an issue which your | | | | the sales team to the customer service team are |
| service representatives can actively develop, but very | | | | highly likely to engage customer loyalty through |
| often your customers are one of your strongest | | | | customer satisfaction. This in turn is likely to see |
| means to promotion. Internet technology today allows | | | | customers recommending the business, leaving positive |
| for quick and easy access to many thousands of | | | | reviews on the many review boards across the |
| review sites. Enter almost any company name into | | | | internet, and helping to drive more customers to you |
| Google, along with words such as 'review' and you're | | | | without you even having to advertise to reach them. |
| bound to find rating and experiences. | | | | Good customer service leads to satisfied customers, |
| These can have a tremendous effect on how well | | | | which can be the best form of advertising there is, |
| you drive customers to your business, or drive them | | | | simply because you can't buy it. Granted, the extra |
| away. Customer service is the means by which your | | | | cost of having in-house, fully trained customer service |
| customers will be interacting with your business; as far | | | | staff who are as committed and motivated as the |
| as customers are concerned, your customer service is | | | | sales staff will cost a little extra, but it is important to |
| the business itself. Many large, global corporations | | | | see this not as an extra cost, but one in lieu of your |
| outsource their customer support centers, and this can | | | | advertising costs. Good customer service is not just an |
| lead to poor quality communications. This is where | | | | end in itself, which is the mistake made by too many |
| smaller businesses can excel, filling the quality gap | | | | companies. |
| which exists. | | | | Good levels of service for existing customers will be |
| From a customer's perspective, very little can be as | | | | highly likely to act as a form of advertising, bringing in |
| frustrating as the experience of having a highly | | | | extra revenue you would not otherwise have seen. |
| enthusiastic, deeply personal and seemingly committed | | | | Add to this argument the fact that bad customer |
| business woo you and persuade you to buy into its | | | | service is more likely to drive not only existing |
| product or service range, only to then cut and run, | | | | customers away, but put off potential customers you |
| leaving you in the hands of an outsourced, | | | | might have had as a direct result of poor reviews and |
| underfunded and less experienced customer service | | | | a low reputation, and you can see that in the long run, |
| team. It can often feel as though the outsourced | | | | investing in high levels of quality within your customer |
| customer service team is put there as a direct barrier | | | | service department can be seen as a solid and |
| between the customer and the business. | | | | profitable investment if approached in the right way. |
| Certainly it can easily be the case that customers | | | | Sales people often have incentives, such as targets, |
| perceive not one, but two quite distinct businesses, with | | | | number of sales per hour, and other such tables which |
| the possibility of a third lurking in the background. Initially | | | | can lead to bonuses. Customer service |
| there is the friendly and courteous business, almost | | | | representatives often have no such incentives; |
| bending over backwards to be helpful and | | | | perhaps there's a link between the different standards |
| understanding, though once the payment has been | | | | of enthusiasm? |
| made and the contract signed, this part of the business | | | | |