Customer service tends to get a bad rap. Or at the very least conjures up flash backs to negative experiences with a detached and impersonal sales representative. We remember the positive experiences so clearly because they seem to happen infrequently.
Fortunately, poor customer service can be remedied. MSN has spent 6 years accumulating data and determining what qualities will help your company excel at customer service. Here is what they found makes customer centric service:
Good service starts at the top
Companies with great service have chief executives who make it their mission. They’re not afraid to spend money, hire experts and structure the corporation around the goal of sterling service.
Service is seen as a continual challenge
Companies with outstanding customer service are more eager to talk about their continuing efforts than to accept praise for a job well done.
These are companies where people want to work
Companies that excel at customer service are often also known for providing relatively good pay and benefits. They trust their employees to make decisions, then routinely stand behind those decisions.
And there are numerous companies that truly care about their customers. MSN’s Customer Service Hall of Fame includes Southwest Airlines (#10), American Express (#9), Apple (#3) and at the top Amazon.
What do you think sets your company’s service a part from others?
