Customer Service, Strength or Weakness?

Customer service is an integral part of any business, and it is often a make-or-break point that determines the size of the customer base for a business. An article on Chron talks how vital customer service is to the success of any given business. The author, Suttle, speaks of how customer service handles all consumer-related issues for a company and how it would be almost impossible for a company to survive without customer service. Customer service is the only connection between the customer and the company, therefore it leaves a lasting impression on the customers. Oftentimes, customer service is a big differentiating factor between companies in the same industry. Companies are more likely to retain customers if their customer service is better. Good customer service also leads to more publicity through word of mouth, the cheapest way of advertising, and prevents complaints from customers.

An external blog from Nextiva gives four tips on how to make customer service a strength for any company. First, customer service needs to be weaved into the fabric of a business. It needs to be treated as a part of everything in business, not just a sub-section of a business. Second, developing genuine, personal relationships shows the customers that a business cares about them and not just their money. Thirdly, anticipating customer needs’ helps business build connections with people. This leads to a business retaining their customers. Lastly, companies must treat their employees well because happy employees provide better customer service.

Personally, I believe that customer service is the most important part of any companies for the reasons listed above. A company’s customer service is always a key factor for me when deciding which companies I choose to buy from. Because of my personality, I’m inclined to support people that I know will support me in return. As said by an external blog from SuperOffice, the most successful businesses are the ones that look at their business from the customers’ perspective. I know for a fact that one of the most important things needed to maintain a business is the customer base. Any business that wants to expand and grow in the future must continue to enlarge their customer base. This can only be done by catering to the needs of the consumers and giving them what they want. Having said that, I believe that the tips from the Nextiva blog are very accurate. Because I’ve been a consumer my whole life, I always look at businesses from the customers’ point of view and I can confirm that good customer service is what draws me to continuously support a company.