The Customer is Always Right…

Customer Service: Thank you for calling customer service. If you're calm and rational, press 1. If you're a whiner, press 2. If you're a hot head, press 3 and hang up.

I’ll never forget a customer service episode a few years after getting into the promotional products biz. My customer had ordered a substantial quantity of pink sweatshirts for an event at a children’s hospital. It’s been so long ago, I honestly don’t recall exactly what happened, but the order wasn’t going to make her event date. She was literally screaming at me as I held the phone away from my ear, staring at the receiver. Once she got her anger out, we were able to talk rationally and came up with a solution to ensure she had the sweatshirts in time…and with a steep discount to boot. 

No matter who you talk with, everyone has customer service horror stories. Whether it’s rude reps, outsourced overseas reps you can’t understand, or untrained reps who have no clue how to help. The problem alienates customers and drives them into the arms of your competitors.

Check out these statistics to see how important customer service is to consumers:

• 47% of North American consumers are not impressed with the customer service of businesses they buy from.
• 91% of dissatisfied customers simply switch their brand loyalty, without giving any explanation as to why.
•  $35.3B is lost by U.S. businesses annually whose customers left due to a bad experience.
•  86% of buyers are willing to pay more for a great customer experience.
•  Consumers are 3.5 times more likely to purchase more from a brand after a positive customer experience.

But is the idea “the customer is right no matter what”, really true? Marshall Field is said to have first introduced the concept when he founded Chicago's first department store, Marshall Field’s, in 1893. But no one is right 100% of the time, so customer service should be the way to find the middle ground when issues arise, as they most certainly will. It’s much easier and cheaper to keep customers satisfied than it is to find new ones. Below are a few tips for ramping up customer service in your business from so-so to amazing!

• Recognizing each customer experience is real and valid. In a small business, every employee is in customer service, so it’s imperative everyone is on the same page when it comes to tackling problems. There should be one person in charge of developing strategies to deal with customer service issues, and those strategies need to be documented and shared with every employee. Not every employee has the skills to handle these sometimes delicate situations, so customer service issues should ultimately be directed back to the person in charge. Ongoing employee training to develop the skills needed to resolve challenges should be a priority in every company (see below). 
  
• Invest in training: Providing excellent customer service sounds easy peezy, right? While some of your employees might have the knack for dealing with customer issues, others may not and could cause irreparable damage to your business. It’s not always about fixing the problem because sometimes customers just want to be heard. That’s where training your team to actively listen, ask the right questions, offer support, empathize, and then deliver on promises made is so important. Training your employees on how to consistently deliver excellent customer service is not a cost, but an investment. 
• Monitor social media and respond quickly: Given the instant world we live in, it’s imperative to monitor social media every day and respond swiftly to any feedback, negative or positive. Facebook, Instagram, X, Google reviews, and Yelp are some of the places customers can become your biggest fan or your worst nightmare, 24/7/365. Always respond promptly and professionally to customer’s frustrations, comments and positive feedback. It’s the perfect way to showcase your problem-solving abilities and turn that frown upside down!
• Use technology to your advantage: To be effective at customer service, you must meet your customers where they are. In addition to the mainstream social media platforms, customers might reach out via text (SMS), email, messaging apps like WhatsApp or live chat. Omnichannel Messaging gives your company the ability to seamlessly connect with your customers on a multitude of social, web, and mobile apps. Not only can you connect with customers the way they choose, but your entire business can also interact with them through one platform that’s seamless and records the entire thread of interactions. CRM or customer relationship management is another way to keep track of customer service touch points. Additionally, CRM can capture and organize leads, keep track of current customer data, track sales, and automate marketing campaigns. It used to be CRM and Omnichannel Messaging were only for big companies, but there are now a variety of affordable options worth looking into. 

Being a small business shouldn’t mean you compromise on the things that are going to grow your business the most. Your salespeople can hit their numbers and your marketing team can create great promotions, but if you treat your customers badly when things go awry, all the sales and marketing in the world won’t keep you solvent. 

While your customers may not always be right, they are the heart of your business. Treating them with respect and dignity will earn your company a reputation for being helpful and easy to work with. Remember, 93% of customers express a willingness to spend more on a brand they are loyal to, even when better options are available elsewhere.

At the end of a long day of customer service interactions, remember this: Your customer is the person who indirectly pays for your home, the children’s education, the vacations, date nights, hobbies, and golf games, etc.  They also give you the opportunity to better yourself. Shouldn’t you do all you can to ensure them an exceptional customer experience every time, experiences likely to make them your long-term brand advocate?