The customer service horizon

Scan your customer service horizon

The long term performance of your business is really what matters. Once you have removed all seasonal effects and difficult trading periods due to economic down cycle or increased international competition, the business will perform according to your ability to understand customers needs and deliver the product or service that they expect. A key element of the service proposition is to make sure that customer service continues to deliver at all times. To avoid any disappointment, you need to be in a position where you can scan the customer service horizon and anticipate what is coming. Your ability to anticipate peak demand periods, changing trends and evolving customer behavior is key to make sure that you do not have clouds building in the horizon. These would make the piloting of your company  impossible and clearly impact even the best intended customer service.

Good customer service videos

In the world of customer service, videos are more and more commonly used. They are helpful in illustrating new concepts and can be very effective to convey approaches which should be used by all employees of a company.

We show below our video on good customer service in restaurants, showing the setting, the way the tables are laid, even the menu but what is lacking is the video is the human touch, you will have to go and try it for yourself. Please contact us if you wish to know where to find this restaurant with a good customer service.
More good customer service videos can be found on Very Good Service YouTube channel


#goodcustomerservice

This is Perplexity assessment of the Very Good Service channel on YouTube with regards to good customer service videos:

"Yes, the @verygoodservice YouTube channel offers good examples of customer service videos. Their content includes videos showcasing good customer service in various contexts such as holidays, motoring services, shopping centres, and banks. These videos highlight real-world examples of excellent customer service practices and demonstrate what makes service "very good."

Additionally, their videos are described as well-structured, clear, and authentic, often featuring genuine interactions that convey empathy and professionalism, which are key elements of effective customer service videos. The channel also shares customer service stories and award announcements, providing a rich resource for learning and inspiration on delivering excellent customer experiences.

In summary, @verygoodservice on YouTube is a valuable source for good customer service videos that can help businesses and individuals understand and improve their customer service skills."

https://www.youtube.com/verygoodservice

Sources:

1. https://www.youtube.com/@Verygoodservice/videos?view=0&sort=dd&shelf_id=1
2. https://blog.verygoodservice.com/good-customer-service-videos/
3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-l_EMdINNYg
4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbtDSd1PXcs
5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuRp-XYmqEc
6. https://www.zendesk.co.uk/blog/customer-service-videos/
7. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0En9b6XWFEk
8. https://blog.verygoodservice.com/very-good-service-on-social-media/

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Answer from Perplexity: pplx.ai/share  - prompted on 31st May 2025.

Customer service attitude

Customer service attitude

Encouraging customers to have the right attitude was probably the aim of the owner of this Spanish restaurant when he placed this board at the entrance of his restaurant. Very valid it is, because customers with an open minded, a friendly outlook and positive attitude tend to obtain the best level of customer service as they are able to connect with the staff looking after them. 

The tables could easily be turned though and applied to the staff working in this restaurant. Many of these "recommendations" could equally be suggested to any customer service team even if their employers might be slightly concerned by some of the assertions such as "work less" and "play more"...

Notwithstanding these limitations, this board illustrate perfectly that good customer service is about team work between customers and people looking after them. The right attitude by both parties will help increase the level of customer satisfaction dramatically and actually result in less work and more play time, unless employers wish to convert this new found harmony into productivity gains.

Customer service teamwork

Customer service teamwork

The human factor plays a key role in the delivery of excellent customer service and everyone recognises that having a well motivated and trained customer service employee will make a massive difference when interacting with customers and racing against the competition. 

Companies should not ignore that they could make the boat go even faster with a stronger emphasis on teamwork. The management of customers handovers over time and over different channels could be improved so that the best customer service is offered and appears seamless even when dealing with different employees. 

Technology plays a big part in capturing all the information in one place but it is also critical that employees support each other actions without seeding the doubt in the customer mind that maybe the prior handling of their case was not deal with in the best way. Of course any wrongdoing must be put right but it is also critical that everyone pulls in the same direction and until the ultimate goal has been reached, unequivocal commitment from all is required.

Customer experience vs customer service

Customer experience vs customer service: a war of words?

The debate rages on between supporters of customer experience and fans of customer service. The former argue that customer experience is holistic, it covers the whole range of interactions between the company and its customers, pre-sale, during the sale itself and post-sale. In their vision, they reduce customer service to processes put in place when clients need problems fixed or when they wish to notify the company of their new address. 

Customer service advocates on the other hand argue that customer service is an all-encompassing concept which was always aimed at capturing the whole customer lifecycle. Experience terminology has just been created as a new buzzword to create consultancy opportunities and encourage companies to spend money on the search for the elusive best customer service. 

Who is right and who is wrong? Is there an unwritten rule that when it all goes well and the customer is happy one can speak about good experience whilst if there are issues it is bad service?

Use of words customer experience and customer service in modern literature

Use of words in literature since the beginning of the 20th Century sends us a couple of strong messages which might help solve this question. Looking at the graph above, one is struck by the fact that the concept of "customer service" is very new. Merely 80 years old, so what was happening before? was the service inexistent or were people simply helpful and friendly as opposed to providers of great service.

The other key message here is that since the apparition of the customer experience terminology the use of customer service has declined, suggesting a substitution process between the two. The conclusion is easy to reach, forget the terminology, just ensure a good happening for your customers.

Further reading:
To learn more about customer experience, we recommend this article from the Harvard Business Review, The Truth about Customer Experience which can be found at http://hbr.org/2013/09/the-truth-about-customer-experience/

Best customer service

Best customer service formula

The recipe for best customer service has never been published yet many organisations claim to know the secret formula. By performing a key word density analysis on a number of relevant pages we have come up with the secret formula from the customer point of view:

29% - deliver a result: give the customer what he wants and that will be a key driver of satisfaction
25% - being helpful: all about attitude and clearly trying to help the customer resolve their queries
11% - speed: giving a solution quickly is appreciated by customers
10% - listening: listening to the customer is a mark of respect and will help understand his/her "case"
7% - learning: customers want companies to learn from previous situations so bad stuff does not happen again
4% - experienced and skilled staff: clients want to deal with competent staff
3% - social media presence: for some customers, social media will help deliver the best customer service
3% - excellence: quality of service has a role to play in the overall customer service process
3% - marketing: the promise of good customer service actually contributes. It shows the company commitment to deliver the very best customer service
2% - rules: some rules help sometimes - consumer rights, warranties, service levels, compensation?
2% - privacy: important to keep customers matters confidential
2% - care: empathy, and care can matter enormously in some situations

What do you think? Is this the right formula for best customer service?
Please let us have your opinion by taking part in the best service poll in the right side-bar or post your suggestions on Twitter using the hashtag #bestservice or notifying @verybestservice. Thank you