– by Nkosingiphile Ntshangase
Building a successful business requires excellence in all elements of business, but most importantly within customer service. Rendering a pleasant service is an essential and basic customer expectation. Possessing the best facilities and professional personnel is worthless if your customer experience is not up to standard. Customer service experiences can make or break your business. Poor customer service can affect potential revenue, stunt growth and threaten the sustainability of the business. Customer service is one of the most under-valued assets in business. However, when performed efficiently by harnessing its power, its success impacts every level of the organisation.
It is beneficial to put considerable effort into presenting a positive brand image to your target audience. Assumptions about a business are often based on social media presence, advertisements, website, promotional content and other external marketing material. However, the most trusted and most important aspect is word-of-mouth. Positive customer experiences will have a direct impact on whether your customers send referrals to you. Negative customer experiences can tarnish your brand as customers can quickly turn to social media to vent their frustrations.
It is also important to note that customers can refer to external customers that purchase a product or service, but also internal customers within a business. Internal customers refer to the different departments within a company that service each other in providing goods or services. Businesses also need to invest in internal customer service as this plays a pivotal role in having more control over the perception of the brand. These individuals are key players as they have the responsibility of representing the brand. They need to influence customers and convince them to consider your business over your competitors.
Maintaining a positive reputation is a result of happy customers, which in turn assists with the growth of the business. This not only attracts more customers but creates an inviting platform for future investors and partnerships. Retaining a consistent customer base is a contributing factor to business success, creating a more stable revenue and providing enough data to make more accurate projections. The market is tough and you might find your business in competition with industry giants. However, providing a stellar customer service experience could be the defining factor between sinking or swimming.
It’s undeniable that a well-trained, positive customer service team can make your company the best version of itself. Their ability to communicate directly with customers can transform the business and grow the customer base.