Has Customer Service Crumbled with the Economy?
It seems to me that businesses today would be focused on customer service since that is one of the few things that doesn’t cost them anything…. but apparently that’s just my philosophy. Now, I don’t mean to imply that there are not companies who have always provided great customer service and still do or companies that have improved their customer service to preserve their business but there is an overwhelming number not practicing.
But if asked, those same individuals will tell you that their reputation and customer service or leadership ability is important to them and to their companies
In June, I received an order of product that had July expiration dates (this product normally expires 6-8 months from purchase). When the sales representative called the company about the product, he was informed there were no returns, the product wasn’t outdated and they shipped oldest out first. Period. This is a multi-level marketing company and the sales representative has since stopped selling the products but I was amazed that a NEW company had no more concern about expired products, the consumers they lost or the sales person they lost. My prediction is the company won’t see its first anniversary.
Unfortunately that’s not the only experience in the past two weeks like that…. in fact, the companies that only allow you to talk only via email or support ticket (never telephone!) are even worse. It seems the further away from the customer they are, the more rude or condescending they are – if not outright invisible.
As a consumer, we should demand customer service – we are paying for a product or service and we don’t pay extra for insults or endless circles of incongruous responses. As consumers, we understand that times are difficult and we can even be empathetic but we do not have to tolerate the lack of customer service. The best way to demonstrate intolerance is to stop doing business with those online pawn shop South Dakota companies.
As a business owner, especially a small business owner or new business owner, we need to demonstrate passionate customer service, not only meeting the customers’ needs but exceeding them. We have to anticipate what the customers might want and provide it before they ask for it – preferably before they even think about it. Today, once a customer knows they want something, a million of their closest friends also know and you’re behind!
10 Steps to Self-Employment
This is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all things you need to do to start your business. These are the first steps and the most critical ones to a successful venture. Some of these I learned through other blogs, some from books and some the hard way – by omitting them or doing them in the wrong order, resulting in frustration that you can avoid.
How many times have you responded to an employee that you would get back to them when you weren’t busy? How many times have you reported a complaint to a website or a store manager to see that nothing changed? How many times has an error about your website been reported that your technicians said it was a user-error? I’m sure all of you have had at least one experience in something similar – did any of those give you the feeling that someone was concerned about the impression they were leaving with you? No, not so much.
Corporate bullies may be your supervisor, your peers or your subordinates. Unlike the traditional ‘playground bullies’, these come in all shapes, sizes and fashion. They have one thing in common – they will stab you in the back in a heartbeat and believe they were right to do so.
