On this blog, we have discussed how customer service is both a differentiator and an asset to the bottom line. These are two very important functions, and logically, this would make customer service an important function too. Yet, at many organizations and companies in most every industry, customer service is an afterthought.
ARMA, Inc. has made customer service a mandate for our company. It is part of our business philosophy. We don’t have a customer service department, we simply perform the best service for our customers. That is how we look at customer service.
For bigger companies, customer service is a department, with its own staff and budget. Beyond giving it enough monetary and personnel support, customer service needs to be thought of as IMPORTANT. In many companies, new business development or sales and marketing are considered of prime importance. What if customer service were linked to these functions? After all, past performance with customers, and future resolution of any customer issues are an integral part of closing the deal, or making the sale.
Customer service is important. Companies and organizations that neglect customer service end up paying the consequences. Think of the last restaurant that closed in your neighborhood. Did it close because the food was bad or the wait staff inept? If so, this was a customer service failure–forgetting to put the customer first and center. Have you changed service providers recently? Most likely, you did so not because of price, but because of service.
Make customer service a top business priority if you value staying in business!
