Published:

03/08/2011 12:01pm

Heart of Business - Customer Service

This may be the most discussed aspect of business. Why? Because it is extremely important to any company no matter what the industry. Then it would make sense that most of the training given to employees would be about customer service. Yet this is not what I have seen through the years in management.

There are employee orientations talking about benefits, employee injuries, attendance policies, employee handbooks, etc. Now orientations are good and let new employees know where things are and where to find things in the facility but there isn't a lot of training going on in regards to customer service. It is almost as if everyone believes that this is common knowledge. But is it?

Almost everyone has had a bad experience with customer service situations. This should be the exception instead of it happening so often that we have all or most have experienced it.

Customer service has been talked about in the phrase - the customer is always right. No they're not. But that doesn't matter. The employees are in service at all times to the customers. And in the guidelines of the company it is their responsibility to give incredible service with a smile while solving any problems that may occur. The customers are paying to have a product or service and it is the duty of the employee representing the company to treat these customers like gold. The customer should NEVER feel that it an inconvenience to anyone in the company to be served.

True customer service is making the customer feel important. It is having the customer feel that the employee has time to address what the customer needs. It is about smiles and courtesy. It is about having a satisfied person in any situation even when there have been mistakes. Most customers are reasonable and only want what they paid for or at least that's a common belief. I believe customers want to know that the company cares about what is being provided and about about who is buying it.