How important is customer service to you?

[RLI]

 


G'day you swagging lounge lizards!lol

Question: How important is customer service to you?

 I personally firmly believe, that good customer service is the lifeblood of any business!

My opinion again, great customer service is all about bringing customers back. About sending them away happy, happy enough to pass on positive feedback about your personal experience with that business along to friends or forum members.

They then might try the product or service themselves and hopefully experienced the same effect and they too might offer that to their friends and in their turn they become repeat customers!

The essence of good customer service is forming a relationship with customers, a relationship that that individual customer feels that he/she would like to pursue again and also share with others!

Thats my take on the subject.

However, lately i have experienced disgraceful customer service and even though the product was good the service was woeful. The bad experience (poor customer service) has now made me rethink my business to another supplier for the same product!

Question: What do you think and have you suffered a similar experience?

Kind regards,

RLI,
 

[nbd73]

The definition of atrocious customer "service" can be summed up in 1 word: Telstra.
No more needs to be said.

[D4D]

Personally being in a Services business, Customer Service is everything and sales are won and lost on relationships. Consider this, you want to buy a Toyota, you can choose any Toyota dealer, they all have the same Toyota 'corporate' look and same product. You will typically buy from the salesman you like even if he is a little more expensive.

[edz]

Being in  Hospitality Customer Service [ service in general ] is priority Number 1, And its not only for the walk in customer's  its important to give good service to ...
Internal  staff and external trades have to be  reguarded as customers  too ... The attitude has to be genuine and not put on fake as it will shine through,  just as much as a bad attitude towards the the walk in customer ..
Word of mouth advertising resulting from good service / product  is the best / cheapest advertising any bussiness could ever do .

[Jeepers Creepers]

I say, if my services don't meet your standards, then just lower your standards and problem solved. 

[edz]

Tried that one once Jeepers, got told maybe I should go cut grass in the hot sun and weather  for a living ...
EDIT: Maybe I should have ...

[briann532]

The definition of atrocious customer "service" can be summed up in 1 word: Telstra.
No more needs to be said.

I really want  , but all I can do is 

So true......

[rodsswag]

Being in  Hospitality Customer Service [ service in general ] is priority Number 1, And its not only for the walk in customer's  its important to give good service to ...
Internal  staff and external trades have to be  reguarded as customers  too ... The attitude has to be genuine and not put on fake as it will shine through,  just as much as a bad attitude towards the the walk in customer ..
Word of mouth advertising resulting from good service / product  is the best / cheapest advertising any bussiness could ever do .

This is so true.
Not only being nice to the potential customers but the existing customers as well.
In fact just being nice to everyone you deal with.
Old and new suppliers and even respecting competitors.
I believe in karma and what goes around comes around.
People that know me personally know what I'm like. 

 

Rod..............

[dazzler]

Nice to see that silly old chestnut of "the customer is always right" hasn't been trotted out.
And yep, customer service is sinking fast.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Jenko67]

Good customer service means repeat business and recommendations for me.. Bad = never again... This includes whether I have bought or not....

[Garfish]

Not really that important will not pay a premium for something I don't need.

[JD-120]

Being able to purchase just about anything via the interwebs from you lounge chair with a beer in hand and having it delivered right to your door for anywhere between 10 to 75% cheaper i think cements how important customer service is.

I like supporting local businesses (when it makes sense, I am not going to pay double for something) but if I do not get the customer service, I will walk out and buy the product from the comfort of my home.

So from the businesses perspective (not all businesses, you can not buy everything on the web, ie a house....maybe you can Im not sure) they probably get peeved off with say someone coming in, trying on a pair of shoes they like, get the right size, then choof off and buy one on their smart phone from the US before they get back to their car in shopping center car park. Not defending bad customer service here, just putting a different perspective and offering up one reason cust service may be on the way out.

You are absolutely right IMO, customer service is whats going to ensure you have repeat and new business. Someone will tell 10 times more people about a bad experience then about a good one.

This next bit is a bit off topic, sorry. Businesses need to adapt to this digital era or go the way of the video store. My local video Ezy store is now a vending machine out the front of Woolies.

Vending machines give great cust. service

[dazzler]

This next bit is a bit off topic, sorry. Businesses need to adapt to this digital era or go the way of the video store. My local video Ezy store is now a vending machine out the front of Woolies.

They may not be able to.  There was a fella in the US years ago that mathematically explained that continued growth is unsustainable.  This is linked to global growth so maybe they cant adapt and will die out over time.  Perhaps they will go like the french polishers of old.

[woolgoolgaoffroad]

And Paul as you know the service is pretty poor here in town but I must say too that it extends from management and above and if they have a terrible attitude then it shows down the line. That's why I am not at that shop anymore because I couldn't cope with the bosses attitude towards customers and seeing them stitch people up

[Beatle]

I'll trade good customer service for a better quality product any day.  It's fine if you buy something that breaks ever other week and the seller is all full of smiles, apologies and assistance, but I'd rather buy something at a decent price off an arsehole and never have to take it back....   If I want to talk to people I go to the pub.

[marvellous_matt]

Im happy to 'pay' for customer service by paying the RRP, I wouldn't spent 30 mins in a shop talking to a retail assistant, learning about a product, or being fitted for boots or similar, and then ask for a discount or go online and buy it. I know that a bricks and mortar store with people in it cannot compete with someone selling the same product out of a shed or their spare room on their terms (answer an email at their convenience, post it in a few days.
That said I get really grumpy when businesses want to charge more than rrp. After managing a retail store for a while, I understand about freight, but that is a cost of business. RRP take into account freight, handling and some of the costs that a business incurs, and allows for a reasonable profit for the business. Here in Alice Springs there are many places that add on quite a bit, so for many things I do not need advise about I purchase further afield.

[D4D]

There was a fella in the US years ago that mathematically explained that continued growth is unsustainable. 

Yup, just look at any multi-national company. Innovate/adapt or perish.

[RLI]

And Paul as you know the service is pretty poor here in town but I must say too that it extends from management and above and if they have a terrible attitude then it shows down the line. That's why I am not at that shop anymore because I couldn't cope with the bosses attitude towards customers and seeing them stitch people up

G'day Kev,

So true mate, the sad thing is that the previous business that you worked with, as now lost a lot of good and loyal customers, due to you having left. I have spent thousands of dollars on both my Navaras and my current Patrol, because of your fantastic customers service and the knowledge that you shared with me and many other customers.

Regards,

Paul (RLI)
 

 

[RLI]

G'day Trendsetters,

Great responses folks!

PS, Keep them coming!

Regards,

RLI
 

[woolgoolgaoffroad]

G'day Kev,

So true mate, the sad thing is that the previous business that you worked with, as now lost a lot of good and loyal customers, due to you having left. I have spent thousands of dollars on both my Navaras and my current Patrol, because of your fantastic customers service and the knowledge that you shared with me and many other customers.

Regards,

Paul (RLI)
 

Thanks for the kind word Paul - since I have left two others have too !!
Hope management can see a pattern

[RLI]

Thanks for the kind word Paul - since I have left two others have too !!
Hope management can see a pattern

G'day Kev,

Unfortunately, they will not, the mighty dollar in there eyes comes first and customer service last.

PS, people such as you are like diamonds mate, very rare and extremely valuable and very sought after, there loss, somebody else's gain!

Regards,

Paul
 

[woolgoolgaoffroad]

G'day Kev,

Unfortunately, they will not, the mighty dollar in there eyes comes first and customer service last.

PS, people such as you are like diamonds mate, very rare and extremely valuable and very sought after, there loss, somebody else's gain!

Regards,

Paul
 

thanks mate....
really appreciate the feedback. I have applied outside town for work in the industry elsewhere so a move and a change may be on the horizon !