In a world that is so well connected and competition only a click away, customer service is an ever increasingly important aspect to your business. Robert Adams, a serial entrepreneur describes the importance of customer service as, “Anyone who is serious about making considerable headway in business needs to understand why customer service is so important. It’s not just for all the obvious fiscal reasons. It goes far beyond that. It delves into the very existence of who we are and why we do the things that we do. The way we treat our customers is indicative of the way we look at things in life. Are we short-sighted, merely searching for the next pay day, or does our vision give us a deeper understanding of the long-term implications of our actions? Clearly, if you want to make strides today, you really do have to place the customer on a pedestal.
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And while there are ample reasons why any person should start a business in the first place, everyone needs to pay homage to the customer so that they can stay in business. The less short-sighted the approach is from any enterprise, the more likely it will be to achieve long term success.”
Here’s a Customer Service template to help you get started with Customer Service Success! Start by identifying where your points of contact with your customers are, how you will manage them, and the standards of service customers can expect from your company and its employees.
5 Important Components of Customer Service
1. Customer Retention is Far Less Expensive Than Customer Acquisition
“On average, it costs approximately five times more to attract a new customer to your business than it costs to retain an existing customer. That logic on its own should highlight the importance of providing excellent customer service. Why risk losing a customer? It’s costly enough to locate new customers in the first place, and every business should do whatever it takes to ensure they stay happy and continue doing business with them.”
2. It will build brand awareness
“If you don’t already know this, then it is time to learn. Word of mouth is the most powerful ally you have on your side. What your customers say to others could make or break your business. When you provide the best in customer service, guess what happens? People will talk about you. They will remember your brand. If they hear someone else talking that they need a specific kind of company, they are much more likely to say, “Oh, go to this place. They are great!”
3. It’s A Great Marketing Angle
“From a purely business standpoint, good customer service is a great marketing angle. It’s something you can tout in your advertisements which is sure to bring you in more customers. People like to hear you have top notch customer service, pure and simple. Anything that can help you with effective marketing is worth the extra effort. This angle works best when other real-life customers are talking about how great your customer service is, so feel free to ask for reviews and testimonials.”
4. It Elongates the Life of Any Business
“Today, only four out of every 100 businesses last through until the 10-year mark. That’s a massive 96 percent failure rate. When you ignore the needs of your customers, and you don’t focus on going out of your way for them, you’re cutting short the potential for longevity in business. With so many obligations and responsibilities, if you’re serious about your business, you have to focus on the core — your customers. Because, without them, you have no business at all.”
5. Great Customer Service Opens Doors for New Partnerships and Other Opportunities
“Treating your customers like gold is infectious. It opens the doors for new partnerships, especially when other businesses see just how well you take care of your existing customers. It says a lot about a company and what they value when they care deeply about their customers. It’s something that you rarely find in business these days, but it most certainly paves the way for powerful partnerships, collaborations and other opportunities.”
As you can see, customer service benefits your company in many more ways than simply helping your customers. It creates customer loyalty which saves you money in the long run, can be used as a form of advertisement, elongates your businesses life, and opens doors through partnerships with happy customers. Businesses should constantly be asking themselves how they can improve their customer service, such as embracing new technology like Innovative Uses for VR in Business, or giving out customer and employee surveys to make improvements where pain points exist. Get started, because it will definitely pay off!