More and more businesses these days are starting to invest in great customer service. Most consumers are happy that businesses are starting to treat them like actual human beings instead of statistics, but the reason for this late revelation is that it never used to be profitable to do so. You could treat customers as badly as you wanted but as long as your product was good and worked properly, you could still turn a profit.
But these days, that isn’t the case anymore.
Today, more and more businesses are starting to realize that they can’t get away with poor customer service. This is because their reputation will be spread on the internet and people will judge the business based on things such as star ratings and reviews. In other words, a business needs to create customer service if it wants to survive. If it has bad ratings, then people aren’t going to use its products and services.
That’s the core reason why many businesses go above and beyond to offer great customer service, but let’s dive into the details to find out a bit more about how businesses are changing.
It becomes their defining quality, transforming it into a powerful marketing tool
When it comes to brand recognition, people usually think about factors such as the logo, the graphic, and also the brand’s persona. However, with the advent of the internet and the availability of online reviews and ratings, it’s become apparent that a business’s reputation can actually be used as a marketing tool.
The way this works is simple; a business offers good customer service, then people praise it and spread the brand via word of mouth. If the business is good enough, they can have rewards on their business website for everyone to see. These are usually officially verified by a plethora of different services to add more legitimacy to the brand’s customer service rewards. In fact, spreading a business via word of mouth is so powerful that it can actually be the number one reason why people actually go with a brand to begin with.
As an example, why not consider the success that Apple has had with its products? The brand is synonymous with high-quality tech products and anyone you ask that has even a slight interest in technology will know what the company does. However, its customer service is really where it shines. There are many stories of Apple replacing entire products for customers that mention minor problems, and their products usually last a very long time thanks to the excellent service the company offers.
In short, Apple’s reputation for customer service isn’t just something they spread via word of mouth and talk about in reviews. It’s become such a big deal that it’s become a powerful marketing tool.
It’s a part of their company culture–a fundamental pillar of the business itself
Offering great customer service should also be a part of a company’s fundamental culture. When an entire business is focused on offering great customer service, then you know that every one of its employees follows the same directive and thus can offer a professional service no matter who the customer or client is.
Creating a stable company culture is more difficult than it might seem at first. This is because a company tends to have many different employees with different ways of thinking and different goals. However, by uniting everyone under the same message, you can create a much more efficient business that all follows the same guidelines.
If your company’s culture focuses heavily on good customer service, then it shows in every aspect of your business. Your product descriptions will be succinct yet description, your returns policy will be very fair and consumer-friendly, and the products you design will be easy to fix, replace, or even dispose of when customers have finished using them. These aspects might not seem like much, but when excellent customer service is ingrained in your business, it can make for a much better product.
In other words, the way your staff approach customer service can often be echoed in the quality of your products and services. If you want to create an amazing brand, then it’s important to focus on creating a solid company culture that is based on great customer service.
It establishes long-term relationships with customers around the world
Another reason why businesses go above and beyond for great customer service is that they want to establish long-term business relationships with various customers around the world. When you offer excellent customer service, you’re focused on the happiness and comfort of your customers and clients. While this might not mean much for regular consumers, it matters a whole lot more for high-profile clients and other businesses that you might work with.
A great example of this is in how you approach clients for greetings and meetings. Visiting a wealthy client of your company by getting on the bus and showing up in regular street clothing will be unprofessional and it will put your reputation on the line. While some companies can get away with it, there’s a certain standard that everyone expects in the business world. You wear a shirt and tie, look as smart as possible, and at the very least you’ll drive somewhere if possible so that you can ferry your client around if needed.
If you really want to show off, then you should consider something like looking at private jet charters so that you can help your clients travel in style. Getting them on a private plane while offering drinks and food will help establish a solid relationship because you’re going above and beyond to provide them with an unforgettable experience. While it might seem extremely expensive to do something like this, the cost of securing a deal with a high-profile client is far higher. If something as simple as treating your guests to a comfortable day is enough to win them over, then it’s well worth the investment. Besides, it can most likely be billed as a business leisure expense anyway!
It creates a culture where you’re expected to go above and beyond
Many companies strive for excellence yet fail to reach it. This is usually because they don’t have a solid foundation that aims to go above and beyond. When your business always strives for new heights and the betterment of the company, you’ll find that your staff is far more willing to go the extra mile. This is something that you have to establish in your company at a very early stage. It needs to also be present in everything that you do.
A great example of this is never telling your staff to do something that you personally wouldn’t do. If you show that you’re willing to get your hands dirty and to put in a lot of work yourself, then it’s a fantastic way to show your staff just how dedicated you are to your cause. If you’re willing to put in extra hours after work, then your staff will be more inclined to do the same when your business needs an extra hand or two.
If you continuously show your staff just how dedicated you are, then it creates a culture where they’re more inclined to go above and beyond what’s expected of them. In fact, it might even reach a level where it’s expected for your staff to achieve great things with your help.
