The smartest organizations know that the way you treat your customers – whether these are internal or external customers – is what sets you apart and differentiates your organization. Companies spend fortunes on training their executives on leadership and management, communication skills and change management. Yet customer service  and the critical aspect of customer experience is somehow left to the “technical guys” to worry about. Customer service is not an extension of your offerings;  it is in fact the principal offering…

You might wonder if this is really true. If someone is buying a simple household item like toothpaste, where does the customer service bit come into this? Does customer service even figure in this kind of transaction? The fact is, it does. Very much. Buyers will prefer going to one store in preference to another maybe nearer location because they like the overall experience. Perhaps it was the welcoming staff, or the fact that they had accepted some items back from you without any fuss. Perhaps you are an NGO – in this case, the way your teams interact with each other and the enthusiasm, warmth and responsiveness experienced by your partners can significantly enhance your claim to fame.

Here are some perspectives that can help to start thinking about great customer service as your organization’s principal offering:

It all Starts with Employees

It is a fact that employees who are respected and appreciated in their organization will have the time of day for clients. Treating employees with respect is an absolute  prerequisite to great customer service.

Complaints as Opportunities

Here are some universal truths in probably in 99% of all cases when a customer picks up the phone to lodge a complaint:

-they expect that some excuses will be offered
-they are hoping for a solution but not really expecting they’ll get one

So surprise them! so they remember.  Take responsibility, or apologize if necessary for the trouble caused – then fix their problem. When customers experience this “unexpected” friendly attitude, it is very disarming and they will remember this and for sure, they’ll talk about it.

Going the Extra Mile

If you want to be great at customer service, then be ready to offer more, much more than the customer may have expected. This is not just about being nicer than usual, it is also also about offering an experience not offered anywhere else. Some suggestions are:

-something unique about the product/service
-an unexpected extra benefit
-unique follow up after the initial interaction

For additional insight, please read this article on Customer Service