What’s the general view of customer service in this country?? We all experience service all the time be it in a local shop, supermarket, garage, tax office or wherever? There’s also plenty of service to experience in many and varied ways online.
Take five minutes and have a think about your personal experiences of service. How many times do you think it was great and would result in you going back to that company time and again, and how many times was it left sadly wanting?
We all know that delivering great service to every customer every time is a real challenge and we all know the impact that great, and poor, customer service has on the bottom line.
So, have you spent your five minutes thinking about the service you’ve received? When was the last time you were really, really impressed with the service you received? Think about what made it so good. Think about how it made you feel. Think about how your picture the company that delivered that service.
Now think about your own company. If your clients had gone through the same five minute exercise as you just did, would they have identified the service provided by your company as one of their greats? Have you ever experienced your own company’s service? You may have mystery shoppers and all the other sensing stuff but there’s no substitute for your own experience. Ring your own order or help line; place your own website enquiry; buy from your own shop, etc. See what it’s really like and what your customers really experience.
We all know that it costs 6 times as much to attract a new client than it does to keep an existing one, we all know that renewing clients are the drivers of profitability, etc.
At Great Guns, we’re members of the Institute of Customer Service and have their ServiceMark accreditation for excellence in service. Working with them has really helped us focus on this critical area of the business and help us reap the benefits of getting it right.
Let’s make 2012 the year of service and lets all reap the buying and selling benefits that it brings!