Some laughter before the serious bit…

Customer service is key to creating a company image that not only retains customers, but encourages existing customers or clients to spread the word through their innate enthusiasm for your company.

In the technology driven age in which we live the average person has access to a massive range of people, from face book to twitter, a good review can spread across the globe in as little as a few clicks, the same can be said for a bad review. Keeping customers happy has become increasingly important with the implementation of social media.

Customer service is what people remember, be it a good experience or a poor one, it is the ticket item that leaves a lasting impression on a customer. The reasoning behind this is simple – customers interact with employees on a personal level, thus employees actively represent a company. While many companies are happy to settle for “good” customer service, the ones that truely stand out in the eyes of the consumer are the companies that implement “great” customer service, by putting in that extra bit of effort, you can create a great name for your business, and a lasting impression on your customers.

Creating a great name for your business through offering exceptional customer service is also a great marketing angle, it becomes something that can be mentioned in all forms of advertising, and held up against that of the competition as your point of difference.

A recent survey by Kayako showed that a massive 60% of consumers would be highly unlikely to return to a business where they had received poor customer service, even if they heard the customer service had improved, so it is essential that every customer is given optimal customer service in all dealings with your business.

In the big picture, it takes little effort to implement friendly, effective customer service within your business, and the benefits of such are both numerous and widespread. It is as simple as going that extra mile and treating every customer as a valued individual, rather than just another ticket to be dealt with.

Customer service is not just one department of your business; at some point every member of your staff will be involved in some way in providing customer service. It is of the upmost import that each and every member of staff can put this effort in, customer service is a team effort.