Customer Service: The Least Understood Concept

Customer service is the least understood concept in the world of business. Too many companies associate it with the job of a particular person or a division and no more. You might have seen receptionists in small businesses such as travel agencies, language schools, small hotels, etc. handle everything relating to customers. Other business practitioners regard it as a responsibility of PR Department alone. This, unfortunately, is only tiny part of the picture.

It is well known to all of us that customer service is any tangible or intangible service to satisfy customers, its purpose being are to attract new customers, to maintain existing customers, to build company image and in the long run, to keep the company in business.

You may now ask when customer satisfaction happens. Most books on customer service answer it this way, “customer satisfaction occurs when our product or service meets a customer’s expectation.” They further explain that when a product – either goods or services – is beyond the expectation, customers are usually very satisfied. On the contrary, customers tend to be very unsatisfied if the product they have bought is less than expected.

However, the above theory was challenged by a survey conducted in America quite a long time ago. This survey tried to find out why customers left the company they used to do business with. The findings showed that:

• 3% of respondents left because they either moved to another place or passed away
• 5 % of them left because of the influence of new acquaintances
• 9% left because competitors made better offers
• 14% left because they were not satisfied with the company products or services
• 68% left because they did not feel the company cared enough about them

The data clearly states that only 14% of all respondents left because of poor products, whereas, almost five times refused to do any more business with the same company because they felt they had not been treated well. From the customers’ point of view then, customer service is all about taking good care of customers.

Customer is the next process of one’s job. With this insight, everyone has his own customer, both external and internal, who is entitled to the best service he can get. The boss deserves it, so do subordinates, fellow workers and target customers.

In general customer needs include physical needs such as company layout, cleanness, lights, etc; practical needs attached to products such as price, quality and utility; and emotional needs which pertain to services given by others.

As discussed above, the utmost purpose of customer service is to keep a company in business. So any company should always bear in mind that:

• Customers are the first priority of all company activities
• Customers do not depend on the company; on the contrary, the company depends on them
• Customers do not disturb company activities; they are the main cores of the company
• Customers help a company when telephoning and writing to the company
• Customers are parts of the business, not the outsiders
• Customers are human beings like company staff who also have the hearts and emotional needs
• Customers are not to be embarrassed nor are targets to compete with
• Customers express their needs and wants and the company must satisfy them
• Customers deserve honest and friendly treatment from the company
• Customers are sources of income for any business

A good business not only starts with clear view of their customers, but also focuses their efforts on servicing them.