Friday, November 5, 2010

Is Bad Customer Service Killing Your Business?




With the economy in an uproar, customer service should be one of the top priorities a business has today. Sadly, a lot of businesses ignore good customer service at their peril. Your customer has almost unlimited options for the products or services that you sell. If they have a bad experience with your company, in any way, they will go away forever. There is no excuse for bad service.

Studies have indicated that it is ten times harder to get new customers than to retain old ones. Therefore, once your customer has a relationship with you, it is imperative that you treat them like the buds of spring because they are the ones that are actually paying your bills. What will turn your business around could be as easy as just acknowledgment of your customer and their needs. A simple 'hello, how are you' and really meaning it goes a long way in this day and age.

In my readings, I came across a story about how a young man with Down Syndrome working as a grocery bagger turned around a local supermarket's business. This is not rocket science, it doesn't require an expensive advertising campaign, all it takes is the genuine concern for the customer. See the 'Johnny the Bagger' story on the following link. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOZPlt3Ha0Y

If you are running a business, you are going to need to do the following three things, and do them well if you want your customers to keep coming back. First, the business needs to obsess about customer's needs and not just product features. Always think of it from the customer's point of view. It is not about the fancy bells and whistles your product has, but what problems they solve for the customer.

Second, you need to reinforce the brand of your business with every interaction with your customer, not just in advertising and communications. A single good or bad experience could influence a customer a lot more than a lifetime of traditional advertising and marketing.

Third, treat your customer's experience with you company as a core competence, as well as a passion and not just a function of your business. Give them more than they anticipate.

For more tips on customer service, please review the following links:

www.keithmonaghan.com/2009/07/31/marketing-in-tough-times-improving-customer-service/

http://www.forbes.com/2009/12/23/rightnow-customer-service-technology-cio-network-olson.html

http://www.forbes.com/2010/01/12/customer-experience-loyalty-cmo-network-bruce-temkin.html