Consider customer service as more than an obligatory part doing business. It is a best practice for marketing. As customers and clients, we consider great customer service an essential requirement of doing business in the first place. Certainly, the service experience has an impact on repeat business and long-lasting loyalty.
An effective marketing program is used to attract, convince, and compel prospects to engage with your business or non-profit. What better way to accomplish this than to promote great customer service? Turn this notion upside down and consider how poor customer service can kill any marketing program to attract new prospects.
Here are three short examples of good and bad customer service. Think of the companies who provide exceptional service and how this benefit both enhances their brand and builds business revenue. Think of your own company’s commitment to provide exceptional service to every person, regardless of the circumstances. Why spend a fortune on marketing programs to generate interested leads only to have the customer service representative fail? Now is the time to review and evaluate what is working in your service program. How are problems are identified and resolved? How can you use your stellar customer service to promote/market for more business?
Snowy Road
Last month we had a snow storm, enough to require a snow plow to come down the road. The plow piled snow on the street at the end of my driveway so I couldn’t get my car out of my driveway. The only realistic way to move the pile was to use the phone. On the first call to property management company, I learned the street is private and I was told to call the Homeowners Association. The call to the HOA told me the person who handles this was not at work, likely also stuck at home because of the snow. I asked to be transferred to a manager. This HOA manager made two statements:
- Do you know how many properties we take care of for snow removal?
- Why are you the only person who has called about this problem?
It was obvious this HOA manager was not trained in effective customer service. His response to my issue was defensive and did not address my concerns. My thought about the first question was that it was irrelevant to my predicament. Regarding the second question, I looked out my window, scanned the street, and answered “That’s because only my driveway access to the street appears to be blocked. Would you like me to send a picture?” He gave the email address to which I should send the photo, a staff member named Rhonda. When I called her, I was told she was stuck at home because of the snow. It was clear that this manager has no basic customer service training. I then asked for the name of the company responsible to clear the street. The manager gave me the name and told me not to call because they wouldn’t talk to me.
I decided to call. The person from the landscaping company listened to my entire recap without interruption. He said he would have someone there in 30 to 40 minutes. True to his word, the plow came. The driver made 3 passes to clean away the snow while I opened my window and thanked him. Great response. Great customer service.
Customer service brings the best and worst word-of-mouth advertising.
I can tell my neighbors how great the landscaping company is for helping me out right away. I can tell my neighbors how unresponsive is the HOA. I can tell the real estate development company selling property in this neighborhood there is a safety and maintenance problem. Word-of-mouth advertising is one of the best marketing tools businesses and non-profits have to build their customer base. What would you like people to say about your company?
Missing Meds
I ordered my medication on December 23rd and was notified that it shipped on December 26th. I called on January 12th looking for the missing shipment, which was being mailed from a fulfillment center 125 miles away. I lucked out, being connected to a customer service specialist who listened to my story without interruption. Given my concerns, he reshipped the meds via UPS Express service. This action is an example of going above and beyond expectations. Such great customer service gives me the opportunity to share this experience with my friends and family.
Order Processing
My business ships branded marketing products from vendors to clients throughout the United States. One vendor refused to ship to my client in Massachusetts because we do not hold a tax-exempt certificate for that state. In my industry, shipping to other states is commonplace. We can pay tax to our home state of NJ or have the vendor collect and pay the tax to the receiving state. My prime directive and guiding principle is to save my clients money on freight charges.
The customer service people were presenting a tax issue as a shipping issue. I asked to speak to a manager. The finance manager called to tell me that this was a tax issue and they had not set up themselves as a vendor to ship to Massachusetts. He explained the sweeping tax law changes and how much time and money was being spent with attorneys and accountants. He criticized his customer service people for not explaining the issue clearly. I defended the customer service representative as not being adequately trained or informed about this matter. The manager said, “you are the first person to call about this issue.” I took it as a compliment.
When my customer service contact called later, I apologized if my actions brought negative attention to them regarding this sticky situation. I told her how I supported her service. Her singular goal was to get our custom product out the door, decorated to our special requirements, and into the customer’s hands in a timely basis.
I shared this last story on my online distributor forum of marketing professionals in order to highlight the vendor and explore how we can avoid or overcome this particular situation. This same forum shares great and not-so-great experiences alike. Sharing on a forum can be considered a form of marketing. Take care to know who your customers are and how information is shared in the digital age.
Here are 10 best practices for customer service
to turn experiences into wins for the sales and marketing team.
Great experiences create great marketing opportunities.
- Listen to the customer’s issue in its entirety.
- Confirm and validate the issue. Understand the customer’s point of view. A recap demonstrates you heard the issue and you understand it.
- Ask for more information to help identify the problem if need be.
- Find a solution. Do your best to address the issue.
- Make a commitment to follow up with a resolution if no resolution can be offered immediately. If there is no solution, tell the customer why.
- Follow up with the offer or resolution. Confirm with the customer the issue is adequately resolved.
- Apologize for the service or product not meeting expectations.
- Thank the customer for the opportunity to make it right.
- Thank the customer for their support of your business.
- If appropriate, offer the customer a benefit to returning to your business in the future.
Contact us to help you leverage your top-notch customer service, promote your business, or consider how you can improve and enhance your customer service to bolster your company’s reputation. Call Lynn at 609-472-1667 or email to Sales@1st-Straw.com