I was having lunch with a group of business people this week, which included some business owners, account managers and a CSR. One thing that most of us had in common was that our jobs were sales related.
The conversation came around to customer service experiences, both good and bad. Some of the stories were quite eye-opening and thought provoking. Do you say you give great customer service? Have you ever stood back and taken a hard look at your business and ask yourself “is the service we give better than our competitors?”.
One of the business owners at the table told us he empowers his front-line staff to make customer service decisions themselves, to make sure the customer leaves happy and comes back again. What a great idea, is it really worth upsetting a customer over $5.00? I don’t think so.
At Kiers, we work hard to make sure our clients are treated very well. In fact, very often, one of the company owners delivers the final product to the customer themselves. Every step of the way, you have to make sure the best interest of the customer comes first. If you are over-servicing your customers, they will keep coming back, regardless of the price.
Don’t hide behind a company policy at the expense of a customer. It is good business practice to have company policies. You and your staff need guidelines. But when you lose business because of your policy, then it’s time to look at the policy. Customer service is paramount to any business, don’t let it suffer because of some silly internal guideline.
Every company says they give great service. Well, they don’t. They might think they do, but they don’t. Take a look at your business and see if your customers are getting the best service you can deliver. Also, take a look at your company policies to see if they benefit you or your customers.