Justice Simango

World renowned retailer Marshall Field used slogans such as “Give the lady what she wants” in his Chicago department store. Apart from Field, pioneering and successful retailers such as Harry Gordon Selfridge and John Wanamaker are some other notable business owners who popularised such slogans including “The Customer is always right”.

The motto was designed to exhort service staff to give a high priority to customer satisfaction.

If you are an entrepreneur or business owner, you probably know how important customer care is; it is the tie breaker because if you are to increase your revenue and grow your business, your company needs to exceed client expectations through excellent customer service.

Last week, the Competition and Tariff Commission held an awareness workshop in Bulawayo, and their presentations underlined the level at which most companies are facing tough competition. Government agencies now have to compete with the private sector, and the need to focus on service is even greater because one of the best weapons to fight competition is great customer service. To me that’s what makes companies stand out from the rest.

In many industries, a customer may get the same product at the same price from a number of competitors but what makes a customer choose your company from other competitors? The answer is simple, how they are treated.

Excellent customer experience adds value to your sales; it creates profits and results that your business seeks. Customers need to feel and hear that you care first. There is an old adage that says, “Customers do not care what you know until they know that you care”.

Because “Zimbabwe is open for business”, business owners should embrace customer service orientation for their management and staff members because a lot has changed in as far as customer experience is concerned. A lot of companies are being viewed and reviewed online, and customer environments have been digitalised.

Selfridge, Wanamaker and Field advocated that customer complaints should be treated seriously so that customers do not feel cheated or deceived.

I must admit that, there are companies that are trying to provide excellent customer service through their customer representatives. Some of these actually believe in the slogan, the “customer is always right” and these companies are repeatedly recognised by the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce just to appreciate their products and services.

While other business owners are striving to adopt the “Zimbabwe is open for business” dogma, fellow competitors have taken an extra step and have since gone beyond opening only for business but are also focusing on top notch customer satisfaction and experience. They have invested so much in customer service training and most of the companies I have worked with to date have surpassed their revenue targets and are currently dominating the market share.

Soft skills are essential and no matter how the customer complains about poor packaging, or delays in delivery of goods and services, just serve with a smile. Smiling is contagious, it will make the frustrated customer cool down, either way he/she will be forced to smile back. Empathise with the client, listen to the complaint, understand the clients’ needs and expectations, and try to come up with a sustainable solution that is in line with your company policies. Sometimes a refund may sound like a loss to your company but not giving it at times may cost you 10 to 15 prospective clients. Statics have proven that customers are likely to spread bad news and poor customer service that they encounter with a company as compared to good news; “When you do good nobody remembers, but when you do bad nobody forgets!”

Follow ups and surveys are largely recommended especially when you are a start-up company. You surely need referrals and good reviews and only your loyal customers can provide for that after good service. A follow up alone will make the customer feel that the company cares about them. Follow ups may be done through phone calls or emails and I always recommend drip campaigns through emails, offering coupons, discounts, invites to company events and company news. You really want to stay in the minds of your customers. A drip campaign can go out once a week, once a month or quarterly and you want to offer your customers something of value.

However it was pointed out as early as 1914 that this view ignores that a customer can be dishonest, have unrealistic expectations, and/or try to misuse a product in ways that void the guarantee. “If we adopt the policy of admitting whatever claims the customer makes to be proper, and if we always settle them at face value, we shall be subjected to inevitable losses.” The work concluded, “If the customer is made perfectly to understand what it means for him to be right, what right on his part is, then he can be depended on to be right if he is honest, and if he is dishonest, a little effort should result in catching him at it.”

Whatever position you decide to stand on concerning customer service and if ever customers are always right or wrong, the choice is obviously yours but the growth and position of your business solemnly depends on your customer’s choices – food for thought!

Justice Simango is a Business Etiquette and Grooming Expert who writes in his own capacity. He is a member of Toastmasters International. Feedback:[email protected]

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