Why Your Business Needs to Provide Quality Customer Service

Making sure that your business has a focus on quality customer service will set you apart from the competition. In the modern automation-obsessed world, high-quality customer service is often lacking in many businesses.

96% of global consumers say that customer service dictates their brand loyalty. If your business wants to retain its customer base, you need to focus on providing the best customer service.

How can you meet and exceed your customers' expectations? What qualities make good customer service?

This guide will explain why customer service is one of the most important (and most overlooked) parts of running a successful business. Read on to learn more!

The Customer Is Always Right

This phrase was coined in the late 19th century by the owner of the Marshall's department store in Chicago.

It has since been adopted by many other leading businesses and has become a business motto for customer service-oriented businesses. In short, this phrase explains how important it is to meet the needs of a customer.

Rather than argue with a finicky customer (or not take their complaints seriously), if you give them what they want, they will become a life-long patron. Customers love feeling that your business appreciates and values them.

By going the extra mile, you can accommodate their every wish. Not only will this help the likelihood of them becoming a life-long customer, but it will also broaden your customer base.

If a customer feels happy with your business, they will be sure to spread the word to all of their friends. This free word of mouth advertising will benefit your bottom line.

If you are a customer service-oriented business, this effect can snowball with each satisfied customer. By going the extra mile in customer service, you are saving money in advertising, marketing, and other promotional sectors.

If you want some tips on how to build long-lasting client relationships that result in patronage, check out this guide.

Hug Your Customer

You need to make your customers feel welcome at your business and that they mean something to you on a personal level. The phrase and philosophy "hug your customer" was coined by successful businessman Jack Mitchell.

Jack runs Mitchell's high-end clothing store that bears his name. The store is located in the posh town of Westport, Connecticut, and caters only to the most classy of clientele.

Mitchell's suits are not cheap, but he has been able to sell premium products for high prices for a long time. Part of this is due to the "hug your customer" philosophy.

This philosophy means going above and beyond for your customer and forging a personal relationship with them. It involves doing things like learning their birthday, their kid's names, and their favorite shopping preferences.

You want to be able to treat your customer like an old friend and mean it. By establishing a personal relationship with them and getting to know their interests, they will value your business more.

This allows them to become life-long patrons and spend a significant amount of money over a long span of time at your business. It also means that they are more likely to recommend your business to others.

Jack Mitchell was so successful with his "hug your customer" philosophy that he didn't just use it to help his business grow. He also published a book of the same name and gave motivational speeches about it as well.

Modern Quality Customer Service

Adapting quality customer service to the modern age is all about having the right tools. Customers do more and more of their business online without visiting brick-and-mortar store locations.

If you are an online business, this does not mean that your customer service has to suffer. If anything, it should mean that you have more tools in your toolbox.

Learn how to use some online tools to communicate and collaborate with your customers. Tools like live chats are useful ways to connect with your customer, even if you are only doing it via a screen.

It is also a great idea to offer some sort of application or portal that is user-friendly for your customer. This allows them to feel like they are on your company's team or part of a special club.

The age-old method of a visible phone number on your "contact us" page is always great as well. Just make sure to staff your phone lines with customer service specialists that love people and care about their jobs.

Nobody likes talking to a robot or having to wade through a long list of menu options to talk to a real person. By letting your customers talk to a real person, they will feel as if you have gone the extra mile in their shopping experience.

Make sure to follow up any purchase with a survey or by contacting the customer to ask about their experience. This will make them feel as if their opinion matters and will influence the way your business operates.

Communicating with and empowering your customer is one of the best ways to ensure their continued business.

Hire the Right People

At the end of the day, providing the best customer service means having employees that enjoy working with people. If your employees are not people persons, avoid putting them in a customer service role.

You want to hire customer service representatives who are excited to work and socialize with customers. They should be polite, upbeat, and not pushy.

By assembling the right customer service team you will be sure to have quality customer service.

Don't Neglect Customer Service

A business without quality customer service will never be successful in today's competitive marketplace. Make sure that your business doesn't fall behind by having a solid customer service strategy.

Focusing on high-quality customer service will pay off in more ways than one and is sure to make your business a success.

To develop a strategy on how to up your customer service game, contact a professional today.