The New Meaning of Customer Service
by Allan Pulga
In a market that requires retailers to deliver outstanding service to retain customers, cellular dealers must adapt to understand what type of service customers actually expect.Maria Halkias of The Dallas Morning News recently reported that customer service just doesn’t mean what it used to mean.“After a decade of overwhelming change for retailers – online shopping, globalization, the Wal-Mart effect, self-service checkout aisles – companies are recalibrating their customer service while trying to define it.”
She points to recent research that has shown companies with high customer satisfaction ratings – according to The University of Michigan’s American Customer Satisfaction Index – enjoy markedly higher profits. Furthermore, there’s a common belief that improving customer service is the best way to stand out in a crowd of competitors and perhaps the only way to justify higher prices.“Companies don’t have much pricing power unless there is shrinking supply or higher customer satisfaction,” Dr. Claes Fornell, director of The University of Michigan’s National Quality Research Center, told Halkias. “(They) may begin to see narrowing profit margins unless there is further improvement in customer satisfaction.”
OK, so what level of service do these customers want to receive?I
t’s not as simple as saying, ‘Good customer service is _____, _____, and _____.
The fact is, customer service isn’t any one thing. “It’s whatever is important to the consumer,” said Pamela N. Danziger, author and consumer insights expert, to Halkias.
Take a moment to consider what exactly your customers value in their cellphone-shopping experience. The most important thing is to meet – or even better, exceed – their expectations. Also, the experience doesn’t hinge on a single step in the process, rather, it is a series of steps: a friendly greeting, an offer of assistance, a thorough knowledge of products and plans, and a speedy checkout. Because each customer’s expectation of good service will be different, your staff needs a flexible approach.
Today’s customer is smarter than ever
Although some companies still practice ‘the customer is always right’ approach, it’s more relevant to employ ‘the customer is always smart’ variation, writes Halkias. “Technology is empowering shoppers, making them more knowledgeable, demanding and resourceful.”
In the 21st Century, word of mouth is more powerful than ever. “Making a customer mad enough to promise never to return isn’t just a loss of one,” she adds. “Today, it means thousands may read their experience online. Social networking sites such as MySpace, YouTube, Amazon.com, Yelp.com and Angieslist.com allow customers to spread compliments and complaints fast.”
Keys to Customer Service Success:
· Know your audience. What type of service do your customers demand?
· Take a flexible approach. Every customer’s idea of “good service” is different.
· Your customers are informed. Odds are they already have a good idea of what they need. But be prepared for all knowledge levels.
· Technology is one thing, people skills are another. Regardless of how convenient online research and shopping are, nothing compares to the in-store, person-to-person service and the satisfaction of leaving the store product-in-hand. Assure you deliver a quality experience.