When I write "customer service is extremely important to the success of any business" everyone will have the same reaction: "Duh, tell me something I didn't know. Of course it is."
While I agree that everyone knows this I have to ask why so many businesses fail when it comes to providing excellent customer service.
An incident that occurred the other day made me think about this subject. I use two online grocery services. One that has excellent service and another that got an F the other day and lost my business.
My last order, the one that received the F didn't have all my items. They failed to send me my coffee so I notified them and they credited my account. They then followed up with an email to inquire if I was satisfied with the resolution. I emailed back and said no. They should have credited my credit card and not my account. Why should I have to make another purchase to be credited for an item I didn't receive?
I would still be a customer if they responded, even if they didn't credit my credit card, but they didn't even bother to respond. Why ask if I'm satisfied if you're not going to respond? On occasion the other company doesn't get my order right either, but they promptly credit my credit card, apologize and are there if I need to resolve the issue further.
As I told a business owner one day who was profusely apologizing for a mistake, "no problem, mistakes happen. What is important is how you resolve the mistake and you're doing a great job resolving it."
Customer service is vital to a business and it just cannot be a poster on the wall. It cannot be lip service. It must be sincere and everyone in the company must live and breath it. Why spend money to get new customers if you're not going to take care of those you already have?
This seems like a simple concept but through the years many businesses have received an F from me and lost my business. Maybe it is because I was raised in a small business where my dad literally and figuratively beat customer service into me that this is such an important issue to me. Maybe that is why I am so demanding of it from businesses and strive to excel at providing it with whomever I am serving.
Every business should have a "dad" overseeing their customer service. It has always been important then but with increased competition and online reviews it is even more critical today.