Every business needs to have customer service! Nobody said it had to be good, well because that’s obvious! Why? Because It is a must! It even has to be great. There is also no doubt that everyone know what it really means.
The world of customer service is always changing but the core remains the same. Some modern factors have come through, such as social media and tools to measure and connect with customers. But the core remains the same! We must help customers while remaining empathetic towards the customer and supporting the business too. I have mentioned in the past some rules to defining customer service, but a recent discussion on LinkedIn made me think… What is Customer Service? And is there a modern day definition?
Some people had some interesting theories that were certainly agreeable. I recently saw a LinkedIn discussion about this very subject. These were the commenters who really stood out to me, and made me think even deeper about this simple question. Check them out as I thought it would be very interesting for you!
Customer service to me is like being a nurse. You have to be a people person and when you come to work you have to leave all your problems behind. There will be customers that come in with an attitude and think that everything is your fault. It is my job to listen to them and try to find out what the problem is. It is my job within myself to make every customer that walk in my office with a sad face leave out with a smile on their face and I know I have done my job well.
I think people get confused about customer service and what we all strive for, being great customer service. Customer service is the experience the customer receives during the business transaction which can obviously be positive or negative. In my opinion great customer service is not just satisfying a customer’s need and giving them a reason to return, but also empowering them to tell others how good the service was, with the ultimate aim of increasing our customer base.
Excellent customer service means listening to the customer, making sure you understand the customer’s needs and that all their needs are met with integrity if possible. Sometimes you have to decline a request.
Customers are the essence of any business. They need to be treated with respect and genuine caring. Only when the customer is out of line with their behavior do we need to come up with a different technique to assist them. Those type of customers add up to be a small percentage. The majority of customers can be helped with ease if you are handling them appropriately.
I would define customer service as the ability to be able to serve the client’s needs and creating formidable experience which would ensure consumer engagement. Let’s just say that customer service is a term which will cease to exist in the future and it will be all about consumer engagement; how well buyers are involved in your business.
We all agree that empathy and the correct interaction are vital to the success. Whether you have to train agents to have empathy or it comes naturally, it’s a must for any successful customer service department. The modern day rules are the same as the core to customer service, but with the need for empathy and speed. Can you do it? I certainly can!
