Why is delivering exceptional customer service so valuable? Is it worth the investment in time and attention when there are other challenges and opportunities in your business that beg for attention?
Writing for www.entrepreneur.com, Micah Solomon first warns about the ‘deadly commoditization zone.’ Your company or its brand is highly unlikely to be very unique, noted Solomon, a customer service consultant who spends his time helping businesses improve and transform the level of customer service they provide. Most companies are much closer to the ‘deadly commodity zone’ than their managers realize, he wrote.
The ‘commoditization zone’ is “one of the scariest places for a company to find itself,” suggested Solomon. It’s when your product is viewed as a commodity and your business is considered to be more or less the same as a competitor’s. It’s when your customers are happy to jump ship to a competitor for some minor reason, or maybe no discernible reason at all. Maybe they switch suppliers for a slightly lower price, for example. Has that ever happened to you?
However, there is a way you can prevent your company’s brand from becoming a commodity in the marketplace. The solution? Exceptional customer service. This requires developing such a reputation for excellent customer service and a strong connection with every customer that you stand out from the competition. It is a survival lifeline and, ultimately, can be a powerful engine for growth. If you achieve it, you won’t have to worry about being viewed as a commodity again.
Focusing on providing an excellent experience for your customers will create multiple positive results for your business – namely developing passionately loyal customers. These customers are less sensitive to price, and they are more likely to be interested in new products and services you may offer in the future. And they are more understanding when something goes awry. When you’ve done so much and so well for your customers, your business relationship becomes one where little mistake – and possibly even a big one – are more likely to be overlooked.
In addition, a loyal customer is your best marketing tool. Nothing is more powerful in growing a business than customers who are so engaged and happy with you that they spread the good word about your business. They become crusaders for your company and refer other potential customers to you.
Excellence in customer service is an advantage that is virtually impossible to knock off. Other businesses may be cheaper. Others may be faster. However, it takes time and focus to become legendary in customer service and experience. If you get there, the odds of competitors getting in the door and emulating you are low.
Delivering stellar customer service begins with one step – deciding to put the customer in the center, according to Solomon. Then you begin to look at every business decision, customer interaction and new hire with a focus on the customer experience.
Beyond rhetoric, this focus is actualized by establishing customer service standards and proper customer service training. From the first day that new employees are onboarded, customer focus must be paramount. How does your company compare to others when it comes to customer service? Getting this one area right will help you stand out in a market with excess capacity and greater competition.
