Customer Service Can Make or Break a Client
The importance of good customer service was brought home to me recently while visiting with a broker use by Boomer Consulting, Inc. While discussing some of the vendors he employs, he said, “XYZ Company has the best price with an excellent product, but I have quit using them because the customer service is so bad. I just can’t depend upon them. They make promises and don’t keep them. It makes me look bad...”
Wow—what a statement! Let’s look at what we can learn from his experience.
Before the sale, make sure you can provide the products and services sold. First, make certain the product and service are presented correctly. There was an expectation for delivery, the product was excellent, but the service suffered. Only part of what was sold was actually delivered—customer service was left out.
Once a sale is made, only make promises that you can keep—and carry through with them. From the example noted above, consider that the vendor made the sale, got the business, but the lack of good service after the sale lost it. The best product with the best price will not ensure that you keep your clients. In this case, promises for delivery were made but not met; excuses were made; phone calls were not returned; as a result, the client did not return. To provide good customer service, make contact with the client, return phone calls always—even if you have to leave a voice message, and be up front about deadlines that can or cannot be kept.
Keep the client informed. If the product or service can not be met in the pre-determined time, inform the customer. Most clients are willing to work with delays if they are kept informed. The key to good customer service is communication. Do the unexpected. After a phone call, follow up with an email if appropriate. That extra step of communication may set the stage for retaining the client, even if the deadline can not be met.
Finally, produce the product or service that you promised.
Just because your price and product are the best does not mean you will keep the business. In this case, both price and product were exactly what the customer wanted, but they lost the business because the service failed.
