The customer is the core reason why any business exists. Without the active approval of customers, no new product concept will sell, no store will be able to attract shoppers, no catalog will generate a response and no Web site will log many visitors. The company's primary focus therefore must be on what it will do for its customers. The company, of necessity therefore, needs to thoroughly address the issue of customer service. This entails the firm having a commitment to providing excellent customer service.
A commitment to customer service excellence is paramount for the survival, growth and long-term success of any company. The level of customer service delivery offered by an organisation can literally "make or break" it. In this day and age of rapid technological advancements, instantaneous information and more customised product and service offerings, consumer tastes have become highly sophisticated.
Not only do customers demand products of premium quality but they also expect the accompanying service to be of the highest standard possible.
Internationally it has been shown that customers simply will not tolerate poor, shoddy, discourteous or unprofessional service even though the product offered may be of a good standard. They are extremely discerning and resourceful and when faced with poor customer service they will simply turn to a competitors' product that offers a better standard of customer service.
It is commonly said that first impressions go a long way and this certainly applies to the area of customer service delivery.
A company must ensure that the customer's first impression, contact and experience with it is a positive, enjoyable and delightful one. If the customer's experience is memorable, delightful and positive, then there is a greater likelihood that customer will use that company's product or service again. That company will also benefit from the glowing referral via word of mouth that the delighted customer will give to his/her friends, relatives and work colleagues. However, the converse is also true.
A dissatisfied customer who has been subjected to poor service, will likely relate his/her ordeal to many more friends, family and co-workers. For any firm, repeat purchases from existing customers are crucial since it is much more costly and time-consuming to attract new customers.
In fact, the cost of attracting a new customer is some five times the cost of keeping an existing customer satisfied. Therefore from the very onset, the level of service offered by the firm must be of the highest caliber and be consistently maintained in order for that company to have repeat purchases and a loyal customer base.
A customer service, or customer care philosophy (as it is sometimes called), must be embraced by every department of a company. It must permeate every layer of an organisation from top management to the lowest rung. Every function of an organisation eg accounts, human resource management, it, operations etc, must adopt a culture and mindset that is committed to providing excellent customer service on a consistent basis.
The responsibility for customer service delivery can no longer be the sole remit of the marketing or sales department.
Furthermore, customer service should not be perceived as a chore, an extra-curricular activity or outside of one's job description. It is in reality part and parcel of every employee's job and so the prevailing mindset of some sectors and industries in T&T needs to be altered significantly.
Regardless of the type of sector, business category or industry in question, customer service excellence is a necessity. It does not matter whether one is talking about the manufacturing or services sector; the need for a high level of customer service delivery is equally relevant to both.
The challenge in terms of implementing a culture of customer service excellence in T&T is that the systems, operations and procedures that are in place in many local companies do not encourage customer service excellence. For example, in retail outlets, customer service is not given the attention it rightly deserves.
Typically in many fast food establishments, customers have to wait a considerable amount of time before being served because the attendant taking the order may also have to serve and assist the cooking staff in addition. Despite being subjected to poor service levels on a daily basis, local consumers often accept and actually continue to patronise these establishments.
The reasons for this might vary, but it usually comes down to one telling reason; it does not get better at another establishment. In short, poor customer service has become the norm.
The prevailing culture in T&T is not one that questions and seeks to redress poor levels of customer service. For customer service excellence to be realised and embraced locally, it must have the buy in and support of all concerned. Only with a concerted, unified and sustained effort by all the key players in the local economy will the objective of customer service excellence move one step closer to reality.
