Customer Service Counts
Customer service is a critically important issue for every business
owner. Without customers to buy our goods and services, we would not
need to be in business at all.
To keep customers coming back, you must provide customer service that
is better than that of your competition. Here are a few pointers.
Great customer service begins with a total commitment from management,
which must have a clear vision of what customer service means in your
company. The customer service policy should include how customer service
is to be implemented, how it will be used to satisfy and retain customers
and what support it will receive from management. Everyone must be serious
about customer service and work together to deliver the kind of service
that guarantees return business.
You must do all you can to get to know your customers. You must learn
what they like and dislike about your business, what changes they would
like you to make, what their current and future needs are and what they
want and expect from you. You must understand what motivates them to
buy from you instead of your competitor.
Ask your customers questions. Keep in constant contact with them.
Call them, write them or take them out to lunch. Invite them to come
by your place of business. These are great opportunities to get to know
them individually.
Next, you need a system to measure the quality of your customer service.
In spite of the fact that customer service is a rather intangible thing
that is difficult to measure, you can measure some variables, such as
the length of time it takes to process and ship your orders. You can
measure the accuracy with which each order is filled. Do you answer
phones promptly? Do you put customers on hold on the phone for long
periods of time?
Do your employees understand the return, refund and exchange policy?
Has that policy been communicated to your customers? Do your employees
have the authority to make decisions and handle the complaints right
on the spot?
If you are unsure about any of these variables, ask your customers.
They will tell you what they are looking for and how they judge your
performance. You must develop your standards and measurements to not
only meet—but exceed—your customers' expectations.
Finally, you must hire, train and compensate good employees. The quality
of your service is only as good as the people who deliver it. Train
your employees so they can excel at their jobs. Be sensitive to their
knowledge and experience, and allow them to make suggestions for improving
how you treat customers.
Because recruiting, hiring and training new staff is one of the most
expensive parts of running a business, you want to keep it to a minimum.
In the eyes of your customers, your employees ARE your company. Therefore,
if they give bad service, your entire company is perceived as giving
bad service. Empower your employees to make decisions that will satisfy
customers. They shouldn't have to look to you or a manager every time
a customer has a complaint or needs a problem solved. When you place
people in customer contact positions, you should give them the authority
to do the right thing. They must be empowered to do whatever it takes
to satisfy the customer.
These suggestions should help you develop a good customer service
system. The key is to develop the system from the customer's point of
view to ensure it is customer-friendly. A customer service policy is
not for your convenience; it is for the customers' convenience. Make
it easy for customers to access and patronize your business.
A well-defined and developed customer service policy will guarantee
you more satisfied customers and more business. Combine that with a
well-run plant and efficient work processes, and profitability will
be in your future.
Remember, customer service does not cost, it pays!
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Authored by: Rick Sparks, Business and Industry
Specialist, University of Missouri Extension
Source: Creating Quality Newsletter, Volume
11, Number 8, August 2002
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