Customer service and marketing are joined at the hip -- if you do a remarkable job in the area of customer experience, good marketing gets the word out. If not, your marketing efforts have little to talk about. Here are five levels of customer service I've experienced recently:
1. "Over the top service is what we're about." (Lands' End) - I talked to Mary who answered after two rings. It was like talking to my long-lost aunt or grandmother. She was friendly, helpful, a good communicator, answered all my questions, and graciously transferred me only when it was necessary - one transfer to talk with another (friendly, helpful, gracious) lady in accounts, with very little wait time.
2. "We do value our customers." (Dell) - Gets the transaction done politely. I started online in spite of the ambiguous choices on the order-screen; called back later when the part was wrong, made three re-explanations of the fairly simple problem. After four transfers and longer waits, was finally offered the correct part. There was no expression of intent to correct the original online problem for future customers, but no charge for the wrong order and no need for me to send it back. I got two calls back to make sure I had received the credit to my account.
3. "We know customer service is important." (Citibank) - A sincere but hollow claim of concern for the customer. After many rings, the voice intones, "We've added more features for your convenience - you must now press one to continue in English." Just to see what would happen, I wait. Again the voice declares, "You must now press one to continue in English." OK, I press one. After a short pause, "For your convenience, we are open from 7:30-4:30 EST. Our offices are now closed."
4. "Hey, we got a business to run here." (Biggers Auto Dealership) - Bordering between apathetic and hostile. I e-mailed this local dealership about a part through their web site, including my VIN, and got an immediate auto-response, "We value your business, etc... we will be in touch,..." I waited a month and called - the service department is closed on Saturdays. (No one would want to get their car fixed on a Saturday, right?) I e-mailed again to a different person who told me I needed to send the VIN again. I did and mentioned I had already included it with my original request a month ago. No comment - just the price. (Did you know there are ten ways to apologize to your customer?)
5. "Next!" (DMV) Customers-Serve-Us. Of course state and local government has no real competition and responds to customers accordingly. Lines, forms, carbon copies, white out, attach this other form, 7-10 days response -- customer service is when you can buy a $40 transponder to make it easier for you to pay Rod Blagojevich to build more toll booths. Some businesses go this direction but they don't last long.
Which level of service is your company on and how are you working to get to the next one?
