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So do we really have control over customer service?

Guest post by: Gary Jeffress

Article Overview: Gary discusses standards set by management and staff within a company. How they might currently be set, how they could be set, what types of measures, control or standards are important or might be important in a company.

So do we really have control over customer service?

Well as a valued team member of any company much of that control is in the standards set by the management. However, given a lot of companies don’t have measurable standards; it’s often up to an individual to set their own. Now I don’t advocate that business owners should not set standards, I strongly believe they are essential. They should have measurable, achievable expectations so that the staff can gauge themselves, and provide regular feedback. But if those standards are not set or clear, that shouldn’t mean you don’t set them for yourself. I think that poor customer service situations often occur because someone takes offence to what they perceive has been alluded to by the other party. You see in last issue’s article we showed that 68% of customers leave a business due to PERCEIVED INDIFFERENCE and the important word here is PERCEIVED. That can be the case on both sides. A customer perceives that you don’t care, don’t know, are thinking of something else, are rude, and are snappy or disinterested. But that is their perception only. They form a view early and this could lead to them not returning to do business with you again, because they respond to what they think is happening in your mind. That also happens the other way around. A customer will come to the counter, be a little abrupt, short, demanding or rude and the team member immediately responds to that as a defence mechanism, by treating the customer the same way. Yet something terrible may have happened to that person that morning (heaven forbid). They may be sick themselves or had a child admitted to hospital. They may have lost their purse or wallet, had a pet put down or had a trolley crash into their car in the carpark. All these things we could empathise with and often never consider at the time of serving them. I guess the message in this article is not everything is about you! If a client is annoyed or rude, DON’T take it personally. If the staff member is snappy while you are buying something, be a little patient. There may be some real life issue here. DON’T TAKE EVERYTHING SO PERSONALLY. If you do the right thing and hold yourself and your service standards in high regard, you will conquer most challenges and difficult people.

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Article Tags: business development, business growth, customer service, expectations, poor service, quality service



Related Forum Posts
Re: Service Or Product? - Very insightful, and I totally aggree, service first... it is a substantial foundation for any business. Products and service go hand in hand to make a business really successful. Nevertheless quality control for both is also actually a must; you will never offer services that are not par with the standards neither with products. Focusing on the product aspect, in stores or in deliveries or in any other way you get to sell your products there is a pinch of service involved. Even after a product is sold "customer service hotlines" is another form of service buyers somehow expect from you. So IMHO service or product are like chicken and eggs... lol,,,
Which major company does a good job with customer service? - Like many entrepreneurs I have run into major customer service problems with some of the large companies - having to spend an hour on the phone, talking to 4 different people and repeating my problem again to each one. As a result I try to work with smaller companies when I can because I know I will get better service. Do you have any stories of a big company that has got it right and does a great job with their customer service?
Re: How do you create the WOW factor in business? - I'm usually "wowed" by exceptional customer service at retailers by specific customer service employees. It's a sure way to win my repeat business and referral to family/friends.
What is the best customer support online? - I am running a small business online now and i really do not want to do too much job one customer service. Can i use a customer support software? What is the best customer support online? How can i use it? Please help! I saw a free customer support software online last night, it is called iKode Helpdesk X, I want to buy it but i am not sure whether it works? Please give me some useful advise. Thank you very much!
Starting A Business - go get a customer! you can have a great idea but if you don't have a customer you'll never be successful. Build a product / service around someone who will pay you for what you can offer! It's the best way to build a business.


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