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Focus on Customer Service in 2010 (Finally?)

January 19, 2010 By 7 Comments

focusThis may be it. This may be the year that it finally happens. 2010 may just be the year that companies start to focus on their customers and serving them well.

Now, I am cautiously optimistic about this focus on customer service, but let me tell you why I feel this way.

- Brands are using a focus on customers as a competitive differentiator in their advertisements. Frank Eliason mentions the new commercial for the Chase Sapphire credit card service. It features the ability to talk “directly to a live person when I call” rather than being routed around an automated call queue. The new Domino’s Pizza commercials talk about how they have been listening to their customers and have improved their pizza as a direct result. Phil, who Tweets for them from Domino’s HQ, talks about how they have been serious about customer feedback and been researching this for 2 years. Kudos to these two companies and the many others who are making it public that they care about their customers and what they think of their brands.

- I am hearing more and more that “Customer Service is the New Marketing” from smart folks in the social media space (including in the above post from Frank Eliason). This isn’t a new concept; in fact, I spoke at a conference of the same name 2 years ago this February (where I first met Tony Hsieh from Zappos). Every customer touch is another brand impression of the company. Each contact with customer service, whether by phone, email, Twitter, or self-service is a brand impression. Each customer service representative says more about the brand by how they treat a customer during an interaction than any marketing campaign.

- Customers are having ongoing conversations with brands and with each other about products and services. Companies are realizing how influential these conversations are now that they are starting to listen to them via social media monitoring. And it is a good thing they are doing so. As I tweeted out earlier this week,

“Customer service is more critical than ever. The combo of social media and mobile devices = the perfect storm for an angry customer.”


Think about this scenario. A customer is standing in line at a retail store. The line is very long, and the checker seems to be taking forever. The customer feels like complaining to the closest person who will listen, and it is at his fingertips: Twitter/Facebook/posterous via his mobile phone. It is imperative that brands and companies constantly listen, and more of them than ever seem to be doing so. Those who are not will fall behind in 2010.

In my opinion, all the signs are pointing in the right direction for a focus on great customer service, and with it a rockin’ customer experience in 2010. Those companies that “get it” will rebound from this recession faster than those that don’t. Those companies that “get it” will have loyal customers who shout about how great that company is to anyone who will listen. Those who don’t may just hear a lot of shouting as their customers complain very publicly and then walk away.

What do you think? Is 2010 the year for a focus on the customer?

(Image credit: michaeldb)

Filed Under: Customer experience, Customer service, Marketing Blogs Tagged With: , , , , ,

What Gets in the Way of Offering Great Customer Service?

January 8, 2010 By 5 Comments

question markI am enjoying my new radio program, Customers Rock! Radio, and on it I have the opportunity to talk with many different people. Some are from businesses, some are consultants, and others are authors. Later this month (January 25), I will have the privilege of hosting Barry Moltz on my program. Barry is the author of the new book BAM! Delivering Customer Service in a Self-Service World, recently chosen as a 2009 Best Small Business Book.

Barry is also my guest author today here on the first Customers Rock! post of 2010. Enjoy!

What Gets in the Way of Offering Great Customer Service? Guest Author: Barry Moltz

As consumers, we all want it. As companies, we all promise to give it. Somewhere in between, we lose good customer service. Why?

One of the biggest obstacles blocking customer service is confusion about why a company provides customer service in the first place. It’s a myth to believe that ethics, pride, or altruism are the reasons for a company to provide customer service. A company provides good customer service because it delivers an economic advantage—either in terms of increased revenue or reduced cost. Altruism isn’t a valid reason to provide good customer service. We like our customers a lot—as people and as customers, but our relationship is based on mutual economic advantage. We provide services that our customers need, benefit from, and are willing to pay for. BAM!-good customer service is part of our economic model.

Ethical standards of business behavior are unwavering. We believe that every company should behave ethically in all matters. The measure of ethics is whether or not a company keeps all its commitments in an honest and trustworthy way—these commitments may or may not include customer service. A side benefit of keeping customers happy and satisfied is pride in a job well done—but pride is not the  reason to provide customer service. The reason to provide BAM!-good customer service is because it increases the bottom line.

Here are some of the things that get in the way of offering great customer service. We call them BAM! Blockers.

  • Many businesses have economic models that work only if front-line customer positions pay minimum wage.
  • The computer or manual support system the company has stink.
  • Customers are fundamentally unreasonable people who set out to prey on business owners, nicking away at profitability by asking for more than they are willing to pay.
  • Our company believes in setting high goals and standards for our company, and higher expectations for our customers, whether we can deliver on those goals and expectations or not.
  • There is nothing we can do in customer service since our products in the marketplace are so far from perfect.
  • Just because the customers aren’t mad doesn’t mean you are delivering good customer service.
  • What was good customer service yesterday may not be seen as good customer service today.
  • Conditions have changed and the company cannot deliver the same level of customer service as before.
  • The cell phone!
  • The company leadership is saying one thing about customer service, but acts a different way.
  • Employees don’t like their jobs. They kick the cat, taking their frustration out on the customers.
  • The company doesn’t train employees with the specifics of satisfying customers.
  • The company has set a price point that doesn’t leave enough margin to provide the level of service or quality that customers want.
  • It’s inevitable that every business will keep customers waiting.
  • Customers want a human relationship, and not every business can provide that.
  • All businesses must use voice mail in order to keep expenses down.
  • Well-trained and well-intended employees will not make mistakes that cause problems for customers.
  • Employees may not be trained to efficiently and cost-effectively address customer problems without degrading service in other areas.
  • Employees will never be able to figure out the right balance of authority and employee empowerment

What prevents you from offer good customer service? Tell us!

(Image credit: iqoncept)

Filed Under: Customer experience