I think we all have different images about what customer service should be. But what’s the first thing that pops into your head? I polled twitter to find out:
A lot of frustration. As @TerryBean said, a “dying art”. @mistygirlph mentioned customer experience. @damnredhead and I had a longer conversation about how non-verbal communication is often forgotten (hands in the pocket or crossed arms). I like the images @impossibleman mentions – “standing along side” and “walking them through”.
Customer service is one of those touchpoints that companies often ignore as a cost center – or if they do provide customer service, forcing the employees to follow scripts or processes instead of actually helping customers. Customer service is a huge part of the experience companies have with customers. It’s not just about after the product/service is bought. It’s beforehand, it’s during and it’s after. Customer service is about experience and reputation. Customer service impacts all business departments – marketing, PR, accounting, etc. Being dedicated to customer service and actually providing good customer service are two different things. But customer service is something that can help companies make it through a tough economy.
I had a conversation with @CharlieCurve on the phone and he mentioned the problems Twitter was having last summer where it was down for days at a time. People were frustrated but were still fighting for the brand, wanting it to make it – embracing the FailWhale. If your product or service were to have that kind of problem, how would your customers react?
Technorati tags: customer service, brand, customer experience, business, marketing strategy, marketing
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