What's more important that what you sell? It's how you sell it. Customer service is key. Here's why:

1. YOU MAY NEVER KNOW.  A dissatisfied customer may not even bring his concerns to your attention.  If there is someone or something in your business that is hurting your chances for greater success, the problems may continue.

2. A SATISFIED CUSTOMER TELLS FIVE PEOPLE; A DISSATISFIED CUSTOMER TELLS TWENTY. Word of mouth is as powerful as the most strategically planned campaign. The diss-ed customer will make his bad experience a topic of conversation among friends, especially if he had told them he was going to make a purchase.

3. IF YOUR BUSINESS DEPENDS ON REPEAT CUSTOMERS, DISSATISFIED CUSTOMERS CAN DRAIN YOUR BUDGET.  It costs two to three times as much to GET a customer as it does to KEEP one.

4. YOUR AD MESSAGE LOSES CREDIBILITY. Remember those 20 friends your diss-ed customer told?  They will remember their friend's experience whenever they hear your message.

5. YOU MISS A CHANCE FOR IMPROVEMENT. If you don't regularly monitor your customer service, you may lose out on an area that could be made stronger, or even a product that you should be offering.

Don't tell your potential customer that great service is a reason to buy from you. Prove it with testimonials. Tell how you solved a customer's problem.  And don't tout award-winning service, THEN scale back that same effort with un-trained or uncaring employees.  Make sure every one of the folks who come into contact with your customers has the knowledge and authority to solve the customer's problem.

Thanks for reading

Ron Harper - September 2004

back