We all know that its customers that keep your company in business and it is your job to satisfy as many of those as possible. They are the resource upon which the success of the business depends. Without customers the company would not exist.
However keeping customers is just as important as getting them and if you do not develop customer loyalty and satisfaction, then you stand the chance of losing them. Repeat business is the backbone of selling; it helps to provide revenue and certainty for the business. So therefore the purpose of the company is to fulfill the needs of the customers.
So if we agree that the customer experience is everything then it makes sense to invest in and make customer service a priority for our business.
Customer service is an area often misunderstood, with many day to day interactions underestimated in the role they play in building relationships between your company and your customers. And it isn’t logical as to why some companies place this at a lower priority in their strategies than the more niche aspects of their business planning.
So how can you ensure customer service is given a priority in your company?
The first question you should ask yourself as a business owner, manager, or employee is “what does customer service mean to me?” The second question is “what does customer service mean to my customers?”
Once you understand this you can then develop a customer service charter that addresses the need to “make sure I deliver customer service that always exceeds customer expectations.”
So how do you ensure your expectations and standards are replicated through the team?
Staff attitude is one of the main issues we find hinders the delivery of excellent customer service, and this can often been related to the environment in which the staff are working. Understanding the theory behind motivation and need is a starting point for seeing things through the eyes of the staff, and once this is understood, we can then explore methods of communicating standards and expectations.We have been carrying out some customer service training at the University of Bedfordshire for the Chartered Institute of Management, focusing on staff attitude and the working environment, and the impact this has on the service that is received by the customer.
If customer service is something your team really needs some support to get right, why not contact us to find out more about our CIM certified courses?
It could just make the difference between good and excellent.