WEAPON OF CHOICELet’s cut to the chase. Customer Service is your single most effective weapon against the competition, price erosion and commoditisation of your product. It’s often the differentiator that gives you the edge. I call it the Customer Delight.
Businesses seem to believe that customer satisfaction is customer service. I see it the other way round. Customer service is the one thing you have complete control over. The one thing your competitors can’t beat you on. If the customer service is exceptional, the satisfaction will be too.
Making the step into customer service is not easy. There’s a lot to consider. The typical subjects Right Outcome will help you address are:
How customers truly view your business
Too many customer satisfaction surveys end up with ‘fine’ comments. Using an independent party and the latest research tools to measure satisfaction will provide a more accurate score.
Review the processes in your businessThe four Rs: Repeatable; Reliable; Robust; and Right first time. If your processes don’t meet them, your customer service is not working.
Review your customer touch pointsGood relationships at sales-to-purchaser and director-to-director level are important, but can’t cover for poor day-to-day communication and service. It’s important not to overlook out-sourced services such as delivery.
Look through your customers’ eyesDo you use jargon or language that your customers relate to? Are your systems and processes designed to help your customers as well as your business? Have you ever asked your customers how you could improve customer service? If the answer to any of these questions is no, then your customer service is not as effective as it could be.
THE POSITIVE PHASEYou’ve completed the above. Now you can begin the journey to Customer Delight. As with all Right Outcome solutions this is totally personal to the business, its culture, its customers and its particular challenge. The key is simply to agree what needs doing, and then manage progress toward achieving your objectives.