Is Customer Service Part of Your Marketing Plan?
So, is customer service part of the marketing plan at your organization? If not, it should be. Customer service is the cornerstone of your sales and marketing. Because without excellent customer service, all your marketing efforts may be a waste of time. Is that statement harsh? These statistics might change your opinion. “93% of customers are likely to make repeat purchases with companies who offer excellent customer service. (HubSpot Research) If the company’s customer service is excellent, 78% of consumers will do business with them again after a mistake. (Salesforce Research)” — 107 Customer Service Statistics and Facts You Shouldn’t Ignore
Under Promise and Over Deliver
If you want to create one-time customers who don’t come back and are difficult to work with, then promise more than you can deliver. I remember a customer reaching out to me. I was their initial contact on Facebook. Their representative was on his honeymoon. The customer thought he’d communicated to our representative to “get the ball rolling” on the order, but we were waiting for the customer to approve the order. The work was in limbo. After checking the job’s status, workflow, and backlog, I called the client and explained that I could only guarantee completion by mid-week the following week.
Although he was disappointed, he hoped to have the product in time for an event in three days, he appreciated my honesty. I explained the situation to our team, and they did an amazing job completing the order in time for our customer’s event—four days ahead of what I’d promised. The customer didn’t forget. Not only did he repeat his order with us, but he also sent new customers our way.
Don’t Make Customers Jump through Hoops for Service
My wife is mostly a calm, thoughtful, and considerate human being—she’d have to be to live with me, right? Recently a provider led her on a runaround that included several days of her being switched from one department to another, placed on hold, disconnected, and ignored. When she was finally contacted by an executive VP, she was no longer calm, thoughtful, or considerate. She changed providers. If you want to retain customers, if you want repeat business, and if you want to build a reputation as customer-centric, make it easy for your customers to work with you. Ask yourself, Where Does Your Business Cause Customers Pain?
How to Add Customer Service to the Marketing Plan
• Train employees on the importance of positive customer service to marketing (We’re doing that here at Berger Hargis now!)
• Establish customer-centric procedures to help customers in need of service; cut wait time
• Give employees the authority to help customers
• Involve all employees in periodic customer service meetings
Customer service in the 21st century may have more to do with customer loyalty, referrals, and repeat business than any marketing initiatives. Is customer service part of your marketing plan?
How Can We Help You?
Berger Hargis has a company philosophy of providing personal excellence for all our services. Our growth and success have been due entirely to our commitment to honest, excellent customer service. The company is built on the referral business we have received due to this philosophy.
If we can answer any questions, please don’t hesitate to Contact Us.
So, if you’re looking for a career where you can have fun at work, call (317) 243-0100.
About the Author
Randy Clark is a speaker, coach, and author. He publishes a weekly blog at Randy Clark Leadership.com. Randy is passionate about social media, leadership development, and flower gardening. He’s a beer geek, and on weekends he can be found fronting the Rock & Roll band Under the Radar. He’s the proud father of two educators; he has four amazing grandchildren and a wife who dedicates her time to helping others. Randy is the author of the Amazon bestseller The New Manager’s Workbook, a crash course in effective management.
Photo by chris-liverani-9cd8qOgeNIY-unsplash
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