What is customer service?
Customer service involves taking action to maximise your customers’ satisfaction with your business. It should be a prime consideration for every business – your sales and profitability depends on keeping your customers happy.
Customer service is more directly important in some roles than others. For receptionists, sales staff and other employees in customer-facing roles, customer care should be a core element of their job description and training, and a core criterion when you’re recruiting.
But don’t neglect the importance of customer service in other areas of your business. For instance, your warehousing and dispatch departments may have minimal contact with your customers – but their performance when fulfilling orders has a major impact on customers’ satisfaction with your business.
Types of customer service
A huge range of factors can contribute to customer satisfaction, but your customers are likely to take into account:
how well your product or service matches customer needs
the value for money you offer
your efficiency and reliability in fulfilling orders
the professionalism, friendliness and expertise of your employees
how well you keep your customers informed
the after-sales service you provide