What happened to service?

It seems more and more prevalent these days...companies seem to be dropping the 'service' part of Customer Service and replacing it with nothing. Well, when I say nothing, I actually mean frustration, anger, annoying roadblocks and brick walls.

When you call a company now you have to spend over twenty minutes navigating your way through a labarynthine structure of 'Press 1 for......Press 2 for.....' and worse.

You can press six different numbers and still be told 'You now have 8 options'.

If you do get through to a carbon based life form or human you find yourself in India.

How many times have you been told 'use your keypad to enter your account number, date of birth, postcode, inside leg measurement, blood group, dogs middle name' only to have to repeat it when someone decides to do things like the old days and answer the phone.

How many times have you spoken to one of these 'helpdesk' people only to find that they have no idea what you are talking about, they do not know how to rectify your problem, or they are just a work experience/ teenager with no interest in their job/ complete moron with the social skills of a retarded clam and the business skills of a swivel chair.

Perhaps your company runs a system for its customers like this.  It's usually the companies that call themselves 'customer centric' that do.

Do you care about your customers? 

So many companies search for new customers all the time. Like a rich seam of gold that is being continually mined, one day it will dry up. What will you do then?

Instead of looking for new customers all the time why don't companies look after the customers they already have?  It's a lot easier.

If you do that, your customers will always be your customers and it will not matter what any other company offers them to prise them away.  Customer service should be your mission statement.

If you make it your mission to keep your customers by serving them and over delivering then you will enjoy Customer Loyalty.

Customer Satisfaction is good, and it seems to be the goal of many companies but its not the be all and end all of the equation. 

What can you do to make your customer loyal to you, your company or your brand.

OVER DELIVER!!!

Exceed expectations.  Think different.  Do more. 

Out perform your competition.

Your customer will be loyal to you, because you are loyal to them.

Remember my mantra, IF YOU WANT TO STAND OUT YOU HAVE TO BE OUTSTANDING.

If you don't think Loyalty is more important than Customer Satisfaction then think of this...

If you are married, in a relationship or whatever flicks your switch...do you want your partner Satisfied...or Loyal?....Get it now?