Sunday, September 28, 2014

Excellent Customer Service as the Differentiator

Every touch point of customer experience become the potential growth opportunity for business.

Being customer centric has become the mantra for many forward-looking businesses, as digital is the era of customer empathy. And excellent customer service is the differentiator and competitive advantage for organizations to compete for the future.

Digital consumers do expect to be treated personally. The hyper-connective nature of digitalization and interdependent trait of globalization make business prospects and existing customer more careful, more selective and much more demanding. Quality products are a prerequisite, but excellent customer care and customer centricity makes the difference. Also, they deserve a premium service and experience the same one you would like to have. 

The company that is built upon strong customer service culture can win the game for long run. The human factor is the one making the differentiation. One way to really grasp how to leverage this is to understand why customer service is such a differentiator. That it comes down to each individual, how we connect, engage, and earn their trust. This same individual can have a huge impact on influencing their friends to purchase the product or service. The 3 critical areas to customer service success are:
1) Customer
2) Staff
3) Organization

Excellent Customer Service has always been the differentiation when all else is seemingly equal. That's the only way the giant industry bellweather can build the reputation and brand from the long term strategic perspective; and a small boutique company can compete with the large firms in the industry. If you are unable to build up a good reputation your market is closing up on you, sooner than you think more and more clients will be less open minded doing business with you. 

Customer service was always a serious differentiator.  But, it wasn't highlighted as such largely because either the customers had lesser expectations (either due to less awareness or just per se) at industrial speed, as well as because other differentiators (tech, price, quality, reputation etc) were placed front; now at digital speed,  every touch point of customer experience become the potential growth opportunity for business, the customer service and experience are put at front and center in people's minds. Add to this huge awareness, 'always connected' social exchanges, Customer Service is finally getting its true place on the podium.