Customer service is an odd term. It’s a catch-all for every industry, designed to emphasize one key idea – all business centers around service. Whether you work directly with customers as a waiter or cook, sell clients on insurance or vehicles, or write for a living, you’re in service to the person paying you.
And that’s important because not every industry functions in the same manner. Take a restaurant, for example. Customer service doesn’t just mean getting the food to the customer – it means ensuring they have the best possible experience, sometimes to the detriment of the business. So why is customer service so important?
Repeat Business
Every business relies on both new and returning customers to some extent. If you’re a household name, you can expect to have customers come to you unless you treat them or their peers poorly. How often have you heard something along the lines of, “Don’t go there. The [insert job title] was incredibly rude”? And did that affect your decision to work with the business?
Of course, it did! After all, it’s often easier to work with a company that’s focused on helping you rather than themselves. If their only desire is to make money, it’s usually pretty easy to tell. So what’s a real-world example of the value of customer service?
Elijah Norton and Veritas Global Protection
Veritas Global Protection is a massive company that’s a relatively recent addition to automotive finance and insurance. While they specialize in protecting your vehicle from the dangers of life, they have a more specific goal, thanks to founder Elijah Norton.
He believes that customer service is the only path to grow a truly successful business – and his own success confirms the theory. Veritas’ services center around providing the best possible customer service to each and every customer. This allows them to get that precious word-of-mouth advertising and simply do their jobs without worrying about an angry customer.
Veritas has created a company value system that prioritizes customers without hurting its employees by focusing on its workers. Elijah Norton encourages other business owners to do the same if they wish to see success. Create a healthy work environment that brings in like-minded people, and you’ll never need to worry about disappointed customers. In short, a company’s value lies in its employees.
Dangerous Missteps
According to just about any successful business owner (Elijah Norton included), the key to success is looking inwards rather than out. A company shouldn’t become so focused on competing with other businesses that they neglect their customers. And this can appear in a number of ways.
For example – automation of formerly human-performed jobs; something that no doubt every reader has experienced to the detriment of their experience. Being forced to shout the same voice command repeatedly, only to be misunderstood by an automated customer service response is frustrating – often by design.
If you get so frustrated with a customer service bot while trying to cancel a service that you hang up, technically, the company just kept a customer. But would you recommend that business to a friend? Would you (assuming there’s another option available) willingly renew a subscription or service with them after that?
And therein lies the problem. Companies are often so focused on “keeping up” that they often neglect the very people who keep their doors open. And that’s good for exactly nobody involved.
How Can I Improve Customer Service?
If you’re asking this question, you’re already on the right path. Customer service doesn’t mean prioritizing them ahead of all else – it means treating them as you would like to be treated if roles were reversed. It boils down to basic human decency and talent, more often than not.
Just look at Elijah Norton’s emphasis on creating real, human contact for your customers. Now, remember that he grew a business from only three employees (himself included) to a multi-million dollar, international business with branches all over the world in the past ten years. So tell me this – do you believe him now?
Final Thoughts
Elijah Norton of Veritas Global Protection believes that customer service is vital to the continued growth of your business, and his success should tell you that he’s correct. Regardless of your industry, customer service is the cornerstone of all businesses. After all – customers might not sign your checks at the end of the month, but without them, there wouldn’t be checks to sign.
And that doesn’t mean doing everything to stay competitive – it means remembering the golden rule. Remember that your customers are people first and income second. In other words, treat others as you would be treated – both customers and employees alike, and you’re likely to see your business succeed.
