Did you know 80% of companies will claim that service is what separates them from their competition? Yet only 8% of customers will ever agree that your service matches the level you believe your service is at. Could this really be the case? What data are you evaluating when grading your customer service? If you don’t have a metric how can you know and measure how effective your customer service is?
Where do you begin evaluating your customer service? Commonly I hear and read examples of customer service referenced after the sale. Some examples of service they share are customized product solution, delivery support, installation support, information and tutorials on using the product, training, problem-solving during the life of the product…. Is post sale the first time we have the opportunity to service a customer?
Every interaction the visitor, prospect, qualified lead, opportunity, and the customer has with your brand during their journey will impact their experience, the grade they give your service and ultimately how many of them make their way through their journey and become customers. If your interactions are the best they can be, focused on the buyer rather than the seller, throughout the entire buying process and then after the purchase, you have the greatest likeliness of converting more visitors into customers, and more clients into brand advocates!
How are you providing information that helps them better understand their pain point? Are you offering information focused on helping the buyer or selling a product? Are you providing additional information for your buyer that helps them better understand their challenge? After they discover and name their challenge, what content are you providing that helps them understand solutions that are available to them? How do you then show the customer you understand the context of their situation and have a solution that’s uniquely designed for that challenge? “Service is senior to sales”-Grant Cardone.
The point here is you can differentiate yourself long before the customer’s chosen to purchase your product. It begins with meeting them in their process and providing them service information that arms them with information on their challenge, solutions, and what tools you have to help them achieve their goals.
Once the customer moves forward, what experiences does your buyer face when working with your customer service, accounting, sales, and technical departments? The buyer experience may not be in your control especially if you have a team or staff responsible for a portion of the customer experience. If this is your case, how are you supporting, educating, and taking care of your staff to ensure they first are 100% believers and committed to your vision, and direction? If they aren’t on the same page you are, the chance is your customers already know, and it’s hurting your image and their confidence in you.
If you can achieve a level of service that truly takes care of your customer first, you’ll be on your way to generating great brand advocates who can sell your business better than your top sales person!
Related subjects:
Placing Service Ahead Of Sales: A Way To Increase Your Reoccurring Revenue
Motivate Employees With Awards And Incentives
Maximizing Employee Satisfaction Through Corporate Gifts