Customer service: cutting it short?

Customer service: Are you Cutting it short?

In the field of customer service, the most important factor can be the unwritten contract with the customer. It is not so much about what is included in the small print to protect the interests of the company but more about the set of expectations and promises which have been sold to the customer. When it comes to crunch time, delivery to the customer must take into account the perceived value that has been portrayed and fulfil the company's share of the bargain accordingly. If there are ny discrepancies, customers will feel that they have been cut short and the overall customer service reputation of the company will deteriorate rapidly.

Customer service bubble

Customer service bubble - what is happening under the surface?

We have all witnessed unusual situations or even created experiences of our own where miraculously some bubbles appear and, we watch, puzzled, wondering what is happening under the surface. In the case of customer service, watching the situation develop is not good enough. As soon as a tell-tale sign is visible, in depth investigation must commence to understand what might be the root cause and could potentially lead your customer service resources to be wasted.

Is your customer service at the heart of a virtuous circle?

Customer service virtuous circle

The growth of social media and viral propagation remind us everyday of the positives of a virtuous circle. Customer satisfaction is a natural source of endorsements, which in turn create further purchases, and increase customer loyalty whilst reducing the risk of post purchase dissonance. On the contrary below par customer service could be at the origin of a vicious circle where the company's reputation and future profits are at risk. So which curve is your customer service following? Beware, it might not be easy to determine at first sight...

Customer service: are you trading on thin ice?

Is your company trading on thin ice?

Any company's approach to customer service must be solid. Whilst it might be tempting to go to market quickly, putting only limited care in assessing the environment might present some serious risks. If the customer fundamentals  have been misjudged, a sunny start to trading activities might quickly turn into a disaster scenario. So it might be wiser to proceed with caution and as soon as the first cracks appear, making it back to safer ground might well be the only option.

With our thanks to Katja Lucas for the picture

Customer service balance

Customer service balance

A successful customer service delivery is made of many building blocks. A solid policy, firmly grounded, constitutes the cornerstone of the strategy. But it is not enough: adding more elements and finding the right balance is a necessity in the long run. Balancing the policy with innovation, initiative, the right level of human touch, a positive culture and some degree of creativity will make it all stick together. It should resist the test of time and be strong enough to sustain external challenges but when the time comes, one must be ready for the fact that it could crumble and one should be ready to rebuild it in a way which is appropriate for the current business environment.

Olympics: Does your customer service deserve the gold medal?

Olympic Motto and customer service:

If you wish to reach Customer Service Excellence why not simply adopt the Olympic Motto:

“Citius, Altius, Fortius” (1)

(1) Often translated as “Swifter, Higher, Stronger”