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The first thing you need to know about customer service is that it's not just about keeping your customers happy. It's also about making sure that your business stays profitable. In fact, a recent study found that companies with high levels of customer satisfaction are more profitable than their competitors.
A company with a great reputation for customer service can charge more for its products and services, attract better employees and even keep them longer, reduce employee turnover and training costs, and increase sales by attracting new customers and keeping current ones happy.
Why customer service matters
Customer service is not just about answering questions or resolving problems – it's about building relationships with your customers so they'll want to do business with you again in the future.
Companies that offer good customer service tend to get more word-of-mouth recommendations from their customers than those who provide poor service. They also tend to have lower employee turnover rates because employees enjoy working for a company that values them as much as its customers do.
Customer service is critical for companies because it drives repeat business and referrals; both of which have been proven to be significant drivers of revenue growth for companies around the world. The challenge for most companies is knowing how best to improve their customer service function so that they can reap these benefits from their customers.
Excellent customer service performance helps prevent problems before they happen by responding quickly to customers' needs and concerns so that they don't escalate into bigger issues that could cause harm to your brand reputation or bottom line (e.g., negative online reviews).
A high level of business customer service creates brand loyalty. Brand loyalty means that consumers are loyal to a certain brand or product due to its quality and effectiveness in solving their problems or providing them with solutions that they need.
The customer service you provide has a direct impact on your business. Good customer service can help you grow, expand and become profitable. Bad customer service will have the opposite effect.
Why do profitable businesses prioritise and invest heavily in the quality of their customer service?
A recent study by highlighted that businesses that invest more in providing better customer service have a lower cost to serve, higher revenues and profit margins, and higher customer satisfaction.
This isn't surprising when you consider that happy customers tend to buy more from your business, recommend it to others and stay loyal over time. The opposite is also true; unhappy customers can damage your brand reputation, reduce sales and even cause you to lose money through refunds or bad reviews online.
It's not just about how much money you'll make though. Delivering outstanding service is simply good business sense – one of the most valuable assets a company has is its customers, so it makes sense to treat them well.
So how do you achieve great customer service? Here are some tips that will help:
Listen to your customers. You may think you know what they want, but if you don't ask them, then how do you know for sure? And even if you do ask them, what if they tell you something different than what you expected? You should listen carefully and ask questions so that you can truly understand what they need from you.
Be honest and upfront about everything from the beginning. If there is any kind of problem or issue that arises while they're using your products or services, then let them know right away — don't wait until after they've paid for something or used it for awhile before telling them that there's something wrong with it. Don't try to hide anything from them; be honest and upfront about everything so that they'll trust your business even more than before.
Answer all questions clearly – never leave any unanswered questions behind; answer each question clearly so there are no misunderstandings whatsoever. If there's something that needs clarification, then ask for it! This will make sure that everything goes smoothly for both parties involved in the transaction (and avoid any potential problems).
Make sure everyone involved with customer service knows how important it is to treat people well. Be sure that your staff is trained to handle problems effectively and efficiently so that they can provide excellent customer service at all times. This will not only save you money by reducing expenses related to customer complaints but it will also help increase profits by making customers happier with their experiences as well as provide referrals for new customers who have had positive experiences with your company's products or services in the past which could lead to additional sales in the future.
Take responsibility for problems caused by your business and show empathy towards those affected by them. Apologising sincerely can go a long way towards rebuilding trust between you and your customers if there has been any damage done during the process of providing them with a service or product that isn't up to standard (or simply wasn't what they'd expected).
The immediate impact you will get after paying intention to the quality of your customer service is that your customers will be more loyal to your brand.
By focusing on providing high-quality customer service, you can develop long-term relationships with your customers. This means that if you provide an exceptional experience for them today, they’re more likely to come back tomorrow and in the future as well.