Everyone Wants Customer Service

- By Ben Jacobson (about the author)

According to a recent MSN Money commissioned poll, customer service is worse in a poor economy. Why?

I guess there could be any number of reasons, including that in a tight economy, companies tend to pare their workforce and the remaining staff may not feel they "have the time" to provide good customer service. Or, these remaining employees may not be trained in providing good customer service. Also, tying in with the poor economy, some companies may be trying to squeeze more out of their customers and inadvertently or unintentionally not take care of the customer like they should. Pressure for increased profits and a concern for the bottom line often take precedence over good customer care. That is a mistake.

Customers who feel unappreciated or underappreciated will go elsewhere...and most will never look back - most will never come back.

Large corporations want to provide good customer service as well as the small business does. But, in reality, large corporations have a large customer base. Losing a few customers does not have the same impact on them that it does on a company that has a small number of clients.

In 1909 Harry Gordon Selfridge said, "The customer is always right". I'm not sure that is an accurate statement. Some customers may have unrealistic expectations. So, what to do...

Customers need to be heard; thus they need a format in which to express their concerns and complaints. Just being able to vent releases some of the anger; similar to letting air out of a pressure cooker. Listen to the customer. Acknowledging their concern is very important. It is important that you recognize them, you recognize their concern, and you hear what they say. Do you have to always agree with them? No. This does not mean the customer is always right. The customer may not have understood the situation, not realized the limitations of their purchase, or they may have misunderstood the company sales or staff person. There can be a myriad of reasons why the customer felt good service was not provided.

So, what's the solution to providing exceptional customer service? It depends. At minimum, it is important that your staff and employees understand the parameters of your company's customer service policy. Train your staff and employees how to provide good customer service within these parameters. Discuss real-life situations and how they were resolved. Do role-playing. Even mistakes can be great learning experiences. Refresh training on customer service. Assure and demonstrate your assurance to your staff and employees that you support them. When they feel appreciated, when they know the parameters, when they see your example, they will be more inclined to treat others they way they are treated.

And, never tell a customer what you can't do. They don't want to hear it. Tell them what you can and will do and then do it.