Recently I was talking with a number of my marketing associates and wondering where in this recession is the normal bounce in attention to above and beyond customer service. Customer service is an area that doesn’t require large expenditures but can differentiate a service company from the competition during slow economic times. Improved customer service has traditionally been a ray of sunshine in the cloud of recession.
Instead, one after another, my friends reported abysmal retail experiences. From the “If you don’t see it we don’t have it” response to a product inquiry to ridiculously complex return policies, retailers were not getting good scores.
So where is the great customer service? Why aren’t retailers making a serious effort?
Currently one of my favorite shopping experiences is online. I love to shop at Rue La La. The whole customer experience from beginning to end is flawless. First of all, you have to be invited to become a member. I certainly feel quite special. I like being invited.
The website is easy to navigate. The merchandise is high quality at a good price. When you buy you receive an immediate email saying “Success!” (Oh, yes, I do love being successful.) Merchandise ships and arrives as expected. And, best of all, if something is wrong with the purchase they make it ever so easy to return it and they don’t even make you feel like a criminal if you tell them the merchandise was broken or damaged in transit.
I ordered some beautiful vases and when my order arrived I found that one was broken. I called customer service expecting the usual run around but was delighted by a genuine conversation with a real person who was courteous, caring and eager to correct the problem. Before this experience I was a content customer, but now I am a fan… a loyal fan.
And yes, I am telling everyone I know about shopping at Rue La La. Interesting how that works…
Is your business creating loyal fans through genuine customer service? It is time to move beyond the standard customer service scripts and reach out to customers and clients with a genuine desire to improve their experience.
If your company is breaking out of the old scripts and approaching customer service in a new way, I’d love to hear your story.
