Are you really giving Customer Service?

The theory that you have to give great Customer Service to distinguish yourself from the big guys has a major drawback – it can put the focus on problem solving instead of problem avoidance.

The product or service you provide should be as defect free as possible so that you don’t have to spend time and money fixing it.

Great Customer Service stories on how quick and efficiently your company solves problems can create raving fans who tell everyone about it, but it doesn’t always work as an incentive to the potential buyer.

Last year I needed an iPad and did my due diligence looking at reviews.
I was slightly put off by reports of overheating and people having returned their iPads 2 or 3 times.
Everyone raved about Apple having such good Customer Service.

My first thought was “Oh No! I don’t need the hassle of returning it”.
It isn’t just Apple that spends time and money fixing the problem, it is the customer as well!
Fortunately my iPad has not had any problems… (typing with crossed fingers is a challenge).

Another aspect is unclear or misleading specifications.
Does the customer know exactly what they are going to get and are you giving them what you promised?
You need to know what the problems (returns, complaints, refusal to pay) are really about.

Usually it comes down to communication.
If a customer in a restaurant asks for water – should it be with or without ice?
Did the waiter listen fully when the customer said “Water, no ice” or was he/she already thinking about something else?

IT projects in particular have very high failure rates.
The Portland Business Journal found some rather depressing statistics:
‘Most analyses conclude that between 65 and 80% of IT projects fail to meet their objectives, and also run significantly late or cost far more than planned.’
I think a Canadian study hit the nail on the head when they said: ‘Bad communications between parties are the cause of IT project failures in 57% of cases they studied.’
This is confirmed in a study by IBM that only 40% of projects meet schedule, budget and quality goals.

Quality control, with well-defined systems and procedures, will go a long way to avoiding the need for Customer Service.
As a business grows, systems and procedures have to be put in place so that the customer gets consistent high quality.
Customer Service can then be small and also do an excellent job because they are not overwhelmed by too many complaints or returns.

Customer Service is an important part of Customer Satisfaction, but the PRODUCT is the KEY.