Importance of customer service: seeing the light

Customers love their freedom but definitely need guidance and help, thereby making customer relationship management a complex endeavour. If rightly done though, the customer will be guided to the right place and do the right thing: buying multiple products and services

Not prepared to pay for good customer service

Customer service and your finances

Customers definitely want companies to understand the importance of good customer service in finance sector and to employ people who have the right skills to deliver. But, with the consequences of the credit crunch still being felt, many customers are down to their last pennies and simply not prepared to pay extra for service. If finance companies want to offer high quality service to some clients (and charge for it) whilst keeping a keenly priced mainstream offering, they should adjust their brand proposition by either offering distinct products and services, potentially under two brands or, more dramatically, by focusing on only one segment of the market.

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Good customer service: oiling the wheels

The customer service wheel

Delivering good customer service is simply making it easier for clients to achieve what they want, it being buying a product or service, reaching a destination, or simply protecting their well being. Engineers have managed it successfully for centuries. The rule is simple: if you do not oil the wheels, they start squeaking.

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Customer service: not taking any chances

Customer service risk

Should companies take risks when managing customers relationships? There are well documented cases where economic imperatives have forced companies to take short cuts and potentially sacrifice their long term future. Most customers will let it happen once but like falling off a bridge, it is not something that they will want to experience again.

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Monitoring customers' purchasing habits

Customer service monitoring

The increased availability of tools to support customer loyalty initiatives can be intrusive and creates threats to privacy in the eyes of customers. They could also be accused to contribute to the creation of a boredom factor. As customers are always presented with their favourite products, shopping for everyday items, tends to become a utility service. How could this mountain of data be used with more imagination to deliver better customer service?

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