Customer Dis-Service Today

On any given errand day, I can walk into almost any store and deal with a bad customer service representative. While looking for an item, such as out-of-stock laundry detergent, Im met with frowns, blank stares, and I dont know types of answers. Whatever happened to great customer service and pride in ones work?

Customer service can be defined as simply the ability to provide a product or service in the way promised, but it should be viewed by business owners and employees as so much more. Customer service should be viewed as customer care. Not only should you treat your customers the way youd want to be treated, but you want to go above and beyond even that. Customer care should be viewed as one of the basic philosophies of your business. Without your customers, you wouldnt have a business. They should be treated with respect at all times. Not only should you be providing the highest quality goods or service in your market, but you should be doing so with the right attitude, the highest amount of knowledge, technical support and doing so with a smile.

Customer service is a dying art form in most businesses today. Its like they dont care about their customers at all. Salespeople and store employees often display a complete lack of respect for the customers, no willingness to learn about the products or services theyre representing, and even the lack of a smile on their faces.

Lack of good customer care leads to disgruntled customers who complain to other potential customers about their bad experiences, loss of income and potentially even a complete shut-down.

Customer service skills shouldnt be employed only when customers are complaining, nor should it be used only as a last resort by a manager whos called over to deal with an escalating situation. Customer service should become one of the cornerstones of your organization. Every contact with your business should leave the customer feeling respected, cared about and content with the outcome.

Train your employees to think about angry/rude/impatient customer situations like this:
1. Am I doing something to elicit this response from the customer?
2. Do I deserve this behavior?
3. Why is the customer acting this way? What can I do to improve it?

Any representatives of your business should always answer any and all questions from your customers as promptly as possible, as politely as possible and with a smile.

When you utilize good customer service skills and truly value your customers place within your company, you will earn more business. They will refer friends and family to you for the same great service they received and theyll keep coming back themselves. Let your customers know that theyre the backbone of your business and build relationships with them. Give them the mom-and-pop shop sentimentality, even if your company is more like a mega-mall.
Looking for more resources on customer service? Visit:
www.smallbusinesssuccess.biz
www.customerservicemanager.com
Look out next month for our article on great customer service tips that every small business should know!

2005 JERPAT

Patty Benton is a coach for new entrepreneurs interested in venturing into the virtual assistance industry that is affordable to all, and she has also written an e-book that takes virtual assistants through the process of setting up their business. Visit her coaching site at http://www.virtualvacoach.com for program details and great business resources. Additionally, Patty is the owner of JERPAT Virtual Assistants and JERPAT Web Design, http://www.moretime4u.org, which provides affordable administrative and web design support to coaches, small businesses, religious organizations, and realtors. She has also partnered to establish the ministry Acknowledging Christ Together at Work http://www.actatwork.com 2005 JERPAT

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