We all pride ourselves on offering good customer service - it is the expected minimum in business but what makes excellent customer service stand out?
Having recently fractured my hand and being housebound for a while I put in an order with Ocado and I have to say the customer service was impressive. They sent me an email saying who my driver would be and even what colour van to expect him in, he then rang me the next day to check if it was OK to come a little earlier.
Upon his arrival he welcomed me to their service as a new customer and proceeded to unpack my items for me in the kitchen. Everything was as I ordered with no substitutions and a clearly labelled receipt listed with 'use by' dates is really useful. The following day I received a phone call asking if I was happy with the service I'd received - to which I replied absolutely!
Online transactions are often impersonal and sketchy at best with communication. An automated yes we got your order thank you and it's on its way is about as much as you get, possibly a follow up with how do you like the products and please review it for us (so we can sell more).
What impressed me with Ocado is the human interaction - it didn't feel like I was doing business with an automated system. They made me feel like I mattered and that they were doing everything they could to make sure as a customer I am happy. That is good customer service. That is what creates repeat custom and is an absolute goldmine for businesses. Your client or customer should always feel like the most important part of any interaction with you.
It got me thinking about our own sales cycle and how it compares to my experience with Ocado. It's a very difference business of course but the principles remain the same. We've always prided ourselves on our high customer service levels and feel let down by other companies when we don't receive the same standards we offer.
Some of the key things we at Ruck Retail Solutions think are important:
Timely responses to enquiries - thanking the client for the enquiry and letting you know we are immediately working on your query and when to expect your quotation. Working to your deadlines is important to us so we take the time to find out when you need it back by.
A dedicated point of contact - project manager. Knowing exactly who is dealing with your project and being able to get in touch at any time.
Reassurance of progress - letting you know who your installers will be, that all risk assessments and method statements have been prepared and communicated, and jobs that require booking in have been confirmed gives our clients confidence that everything is being taken care of on their behalf.
Real time reporting - allowing our clients to see exactly what is happening on site should any unexpected issues arise.
Job completion reports - showing you that your job has been installed to your satisfaction and signed off on site by the relevant person, along with photographs of how impressive your displays look.
Follow up - we always keep in touch to make sure you are happy with your client's feedback from our installations.
Keeping in touch - we value our relationships and will keep in touch to see how things are going - even if it's just to say hello and ask if there is anything we can help you with. Regular meetings with you to take on board feedback and see what we can do to improve our services.
If you would like to add your thoughts on what contributes to a good customer service journey please add your comments below - we'd love to hear from you as we are always looking for ways to improve our customer experience.
Nice one!!
ReplyDelete