What is Customer Service? The Essence of Great service

Recently someone asked me: "What is customer service, really? What's the essence of great customer service?

OK, I've had a customer service definition on my site for ages. If you remember, I said it like this: "A customer defines good customer service as how she perceives that an organization has delighted her, by exceeding to meet her needs".

At the core of customer service is that it adds value. No customer will ever feel delighted when you don't add value. If your product delivers less (perceived) value than what the customer paid for it, did you do her a service? (No.) If your site has little information value for your customer, does she feel delighted? (No.) If the sales clerk doesn't offer any help when your customer is looking for something, does she feel valued? (No.)

What is customer service? Added Value. What is great customer service? A lot of added value. What is unbelievable customer service? More added value than you ever thought possible.

Introducing the Value Added Tax

No, I'm not talking about the government taking a piece of the pie yet again. You know, customers are finely tuned in on added value. They're constantly evaluating your business for how much value it added. In the end, they'll always go for the business they feel is adding the most value to them.

This is not just about money. Value can have many forms. Sometimes you add value by just offering a genuine smile. Empathizing with a customer who's had a bad break can add value. A sincere compliment can add value.

Quality in a service or product is not what you put into it.
It is what the client or customer gets out of it.

PETER DRUCKER

How true.

Still, it makes me wonder why in business the persons that often adds the most value to the business (the customer service department) are often the least valued. I think because many businesses fail to appreciate that adding value to customers equals adding value to the business.

 

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