Are you Serious about Customer Service
Are you Serious about Customer Service?
There was a time in my life when I didn't give much thought to customer service. After all, it seemed like a job for those that couldn't find work elsewhere. I knew how to do every task and, if left at home with nothing else to think about, felt satisfied that everything I did would be done efficiently and professionally. However, after being involved in the customer service industry for over six years now — this doesn't seem like such an opinion anymore.
A few years ago, I was contacted by a woman to help her with her legal action against a car dealership. The sad thing was that she didn't even have the best of intentions in mind. Her goal was to close the door on the company so they could no longer keep good employees and grow.
I came to understand that this kind of thought process is sadly prevalent within our industry; breaking not only procedures, but even laws when it seems necessary for personal gain. What's worse is that this isn't an isolated case — it happens every day, and it doesn't matter if you work for a large corporation or an individual.
The crux of the matter
What if this woman had been in the health industry? Would she have moved on to asking different questions, such as what is the procedure for opening a pharmacy in a foreign country, without ever considering that there's a person behind taking care of such procedures? Or would she have come to work and said, "I don't see any reason why I can't do everything myself. I don't need an employee. I can do everything on my own. I'm sure I would actually be better at it than any of the other people here." I can guarantee you that this thought process would not take place.
Customer service is a crucial part of any business, but it's not something to take lightly. You must understand what types of customers come through your door, how they act and how they react to certain situations to provide the best customer service possible. This might seem like common sense, but one of my recent experiences has shown me just how important this concept is.
A VIP client: a $50K mistake
A few months ago, I received an urgent call from a VIP client who was watching her car get repossessed. She didn't have the money to pay the bill, so she was trying to get a hold of someone in the company who could help her.
I thought I would be able to do something; after all, I had never and would never use arbitration or legal action against a dealership. However, I reached out to my contact and found out that it was unlikely we would be able to make any headway with the situation. After getting that information off my chest, I felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders because at least then I knew there was nothing more we could do for this client.
You can imagine how I felt when I received a call a few days later asking me to help escalate the issue. The main reason she wanted me to do so was because she had a special relationship with that dealership, which is why they were able to get her a loan.
I was appalled to hear this. This was a VIP client, and the service she received didn't match the level of respect she had for the company. I knew exactly what I needed to do — escalate it higher up in the company and make sure she got what she deserved.
Unfortunately, that opportunity never presented itself and we were forced to move on with our lives while leaving her behind in chaos. It was a blunder, but it was a mistake that should never have happened.
The lesson I learned
I want to leave you with one thought here: This is not a problem you can solve on your own. You must get in touch with someone from the company and take steps to make sure the issue is resolved or improve the situation instead of letting it continue. We're all tired of seeing similar stories about companies exploiting their customers, so do something about it instead of leaving others in an even worse position than we originally were.
Think about what this would have looked like if this scenario had taken place in any other industry.
If you were a doctor, would you refuse to provide your customer with the best service possible because you didn't want to delegate tasks?
If you were a teacher, would you let your students fail because it was easier to do everything for them?
Now imagine what life would be like if every customer service employee thought in this manner. Companies wouldn't be successful for long without their customers. Every industry needs to treat its clients with respect, so forget about cutting corners now that you know what the final result will be. It might seem easier at times, but your community will thank you later if you decide to do things differently.
If you need any support, or have any questions or comments, feel free to email me anytime at teo@inglesiasponsor.com.
ARTICLE END. [ARTICLE START] There was a time in my life when I didn't give much thought to customer service. After all, it seemed like a job for those that couldn't find work elsewhere. I knew how to do every task and, if left at home with nothing else to think about, felt satisfied that everything I did would be done efficiently and professionally. However, after being involved in the customer service industry for over six years now — this doesn't seem like such an opinion anymore. I've learned a lot about the importance of customer service and how it affects not only the company, but also the people that work there. I've talked to countless people from all different industries and tried to understand why customer service is so important, particularly in this industry. The number one thing I've found myself asking myself is, What would happen if every customer service employee thought like this? We can always improve our services and enhance them within our practices, but what would happen if we stopped trying to do that? The answer is quite simple — nothing good at all. You see, we have an opportunity to take a unique approach with each individual client and make their lives easier by helping them out when they need it.
Conclusion
Now that you've read this article, I want to leave you with an important thought: Don't let these experiences happen to you or your clients. If you're looking for a solution to make sure this never happens again, try using fast cars and motorcycles as part of your business. Click here to learn more!
ARTICLE END.
Want more help with your business? Salesforce has the answers! Learn how it can help by clicking here. [ARTICLE START] I have always been a hard worker, but my dad always believed there was someone out there who was willing to work harder than I could ever work, so he would push me to do better when I felt like it wasn't possible.