Customer Service Counts…Big Time

A few months ago, I sat on hold for hours while trying to resolve an issue North Star had with a vendor. Only after I’d been on the phone with this company for a whopping 5 hours of my time, spoken to 6 different representatives, and lost any desire to ever use the vendor again did a representative tell me that the issue had been resolved days earlier and there was no need for me to call.

 

Situations like this really make me think about the importance of customer relations in preserving a brand and its loyal customers. As I had conversation after conversation with a variety of representatives, it occurred to me that the feedback I gave would probably never reach a marketing or brand manager. I could only hope I had been recorded.

 

It’s amazing how some companies skimp on training and customer service, one of the most important jobs within a company. Some brands have the most amazing marketing campaigns but hold back on on customer service training and totally disregard the all important relationship with the consumer. What’s the point of spending a substantial portion of your budget on marketing if you can’t keep your customers happy?

 

When my daughter recently bought a hair straightener from a store at the mall, and then was told she couldn’t return it, when the receipt clearly stated that she could, I decided to take action. I brought her to the store and explained the situation to the salesperson, who told me the item absolutely could be returned. Come to find out, the original salesperson my daughter had talked to simply wasn’t trained correctly and didn’t know the company’s policies. Little mishaps like these are annoying, and happen all the time when a company does not give its employees enough information, or when corporate officers decide something while those “in the trenches” are never made aware. When a situation like this escalates, it can cause a company to lose a customer, and turn into a word-of-mouth nightmare.

 

On the flip side, when a friend of mine ordered a Mac over the phone and admitted to the sales rep that she was no longer a student, he replied “No worries. I’ll see if you qualify for any other discounts.” And when Netflix famously gave 5% off to all of its customers for a one day shipping delay, loyal subscribers raved about the company’s proactive efforts to keep them happy. The “little extras” cost the company close to nothing, but show customers that they appreciate their business and that they are very much valued by the company.

 

When a customer has an experience with your brand, whether they are buying something or calling to sort out an issue, it should be considered a marketing event. This customer has initiated a conversation with your company and needs to feel valued. The goal of this interaction should be to please the customer and give him or her a great brand experience. Without loyal, happy customers, your customers will go elsewhere and your business will fail. It’s that simple.

 

Have any great customer service anecdotes? I’d love to hear them! Email me at april@fortheloveofmarketing.com.