What does customer service mean to you?

[Glenn]

What does customer service mean to you?

[Dan W]

Having someone knowledable on hand in the area of the store I'm shopping in, and someone adult enough to tell me "I dont have that answer, but lets go ask someone who has".
On an internet forum. An administrator that listens to complaints/ideas and lets the members know as far in advance as possible if one part of the web site is going down for whatever reason.
Bear in mind that all members of an internet forum are not neccessarily adults and will complain about the smallest thing. The administrator should be able to tell the difference.

[dablacksmith]

in a store having a cashier that will take your money instead of talking on the phone. also being able to answer simple questions about the products they are selling.. on the phone someone that speaks reasonable English to answer the questions i have without going thru 15 different push this button if ...

[pkrankow]

"I don't know, but let me look that up / call the mfg / call the vendor" was a powerful sales tool when I was in retail. If the customer was in a hurry, I would take their number AND CALL THEM BACK.

Under promise and over deliver on due dates and delivery dates. So give an extra day or two in your estimate to prevent problems that seem to occur in scheduling and shipping.

Phil

[beth]

when we deal with our customers ( in my husbands business - not mine - we do plant hire ) we will bend over backwards to provide them with what they need even if that means sometimes making a loss ourselves. it always goes a long way and its why we have repeat customers. also if we quote on a job that ends up taking less time we reduce the cost. honesty is a good policy for genuine customer service. however if they turn out to be demanding unreasonable nightmares, then the bending over backwards to help attitude doesnt always continue! you can usually tell fairly quickly when you got one of those:)

[wedwards]

As a customer - to be made to feel that I am welcome in that business as a customer or potential customer even though I might not make a purchase that day, and to be made to feel that the business is interested in meeting my needs.

As a provider - to understand that most people in my place of business are looking for information if not a product and to show them I am interested in meeting their needs. Also to ensure that my employees understand this as well. It's trite but true - I will never get a second chance to make a first impression. Good or bad, the first impression is the one the customer leaves with.

Bill

[Brian D]

Quite simply:

Give the customer what they want......
In the quantity they want it ......
When they want it......

If the customer's expectations cannot be met, then simply be honest and say so.

Pretty simple to me.

[David Einhorn]

To me good customer service must include good listening skills. When I am called to the front counter the fastest and best way to calm an upset customer is to show them that they are the center of your attention, you are interested in what they have to say, and that their opinion/concern/need matters to you, and their interest or concern will be acted upon.

In contrast, bad customer service and the fastest way to lower sales is when they disregard you and turn their back on you and your concern, walk away or hang up, and/or tell you off. The fastest way to anger someone is to tell them that they and/or their concern or opinion is wrong or not important. For example, that if you don't purchase their product and at their prices, then you are (insert a derogatory comment). Good examples of telling people off may be viewed in recent forum threads by sellers and resellers of blacksmithing tools such as anvils and power-hammers.

It is better and much less painful to learn from the mistakes of others, than from our own mistakes. :D

Edited December 21, 2009 by UnicornForge

[Donnie]

Good customer service for me would consist of mutual respect, mutual courtesy, and above all honesty.

[John NC]

A former boss of mine had a good axiom: Bend over backwards for your customers, but don't bend over forwards for them!

That said, honesty and good listening skills (as mentioned above) are very important. Never make a promise you can't keep.

[Bad Creek Blacksmith]

I have a friend that owns a shoe store and he could sell the ugliest shoes to the sharpest dress person because he treats everyone like a favorite Relative. Thats customer service, treating everyone right and good communications.

[CurlyGeorge]

John NC, I have never heard that saying before. But I LOVE IT!!! That makes good sense, too. Kinda tends to go along with Grant's post on Pricing. :D

[chyancarrek]

Getting it -
Act as if you have some enthusiasm for your career choice - Don't take the fact that you hate your job, out on me . . .

Giving it -
I back everything I make 100% - the rest all falls into place.

John, That IS a great saying! :D

[Fe-Wood]

Here is a point that I've discussed in other forums and witnessed first hand (again) the other day. As an outside salesmen DO NOT interrupt a conversation/transaction between a paying customer and the sales staff of the store you are calling on.

I had this happen the other day while I was buying paint. I have to get a water based finish on some cabinets and the temperature and humidity are both working against me. I was deep in conversation about my options when a sales man comes up and announces he needs to find the solvent storage area and then he goes on to ask what kind of solvents they use. Not a big deal but it was rude and left a sour taste for me.

[welder19]

Customer service and treating customers and potential customers with respect and like they are important to you is sadly becomeing a thing of the past.
One of the most agrevating, inconsiderate, rude and just plain bad for business things that has become common place these days is, NO ONE ANSWERS PHONES OR RETURNS CALLS.

I worked in the service industry for many years and I worked for one co. for 15 yrs before becoming disabled and I watched that co go from being #1 in the country to an embarrassment to be associated with, the downfall started when they brought in a guy who was supposed to cut losses, bring up our safety record, tighten up some of the sloppy paperwork proceedures and so on. If that was where they left it things would have been fine but long story short, they ended up handing the co. over to this guy who knew absolutely nothing about our business and is currently running it into the ground and they still think he can walk on water.

We used to do work all over the country, up and down the east coast all they way over to the west coast, all around the caribbean, we had customers that would fly us all over to work on their boats and would bring their boats to us from all over the place but now no one even wants to deal with the co. at all and it was all because of this one guy and his modern management, while I was still there, many times I would be in the office and they would be complaining about not having any work, the phone would ring and they would'nt answer it. The guys on the road would say that every cust that they would go too would complain how no one answers the phone anymore and takes for ever to return calls if they do at all.
That is by no means the only thing that killed the business but it is a big part of it.

I gave that co. evrything I had and to watch then flush it all down in a couple years was really heart breaking and even though I wish I was not in the condition I am, I am so glad that I am no longer there.

welder19

[petere76]

Gents,

As a supplier of a product we need to evaluate the needs of that client and balance that against our ability to fill the need. Many times the client has an idea and nothing specific that we can work with. In developing the "plan" it is important to make certain the client is involved in the process. This assures the clinet gets what they need and clearly defines our end of the agreement. Sometimes the client is well intentioned but technically misguided, happens all the time. Our repsonsibility would be to educate them to the reality of the situation. Failure to undertake this simple process will both fail the client and at the end of the day, it will make your product look bad.

Remember that perception and reality although not the same, are often viewed as the same. A happy client is our best advertising.

Merry Christmas to all,
Peter

[John Larson]

I practice the golden rule, treating people like I want to be treated. That always worked in my previous careers, and seems to work now. In conversations stick to the facts, and tell the truth.

[Wolf's Den Armoury]

I'm kind of like John Larson on this. I treat my customers the way *I* would expect to be treated if I was the customer.

I also try to remember the axiom of "A happy customer will tell 5 of his/her friends. An Unhappy one will tell everyone else."

Most of my business is by word of mouth. I really don't mind the word spreading slowly, as long as the customers stay happy with my products.

David

[Frosty]

Lots of good responses so far.

When I'm the customer I expect what I want when I want it at a fiar not necessarily cheap price or to be told honestly up front, why it isn't going to happen. A solid referal is a good way to get my return business even if place #1 can't do it for me that time. Heck, it'll get referals from me unless they turn out to be non-deliverers in general.

When I'm the seller I do my best to give em more than they expect, when they want it and for a fair, not cheap, fair price. If I can't do it I say so up front and try to send them to someone who can give them what they want.

Darned if that doesn't sound like the golden rule eh? Hmmm. Fancy THAT. :D

[Larzz]

Figure out what the customer wants and them have it ready for them when they figure out what they need.
In other words, know the customer and your business. Then figure out what you can do to meet their needs. If you don't have it figure out who does and send them that direction.

I needed parts for the car the other day and the saleman didn't have it in stock. He turned to the phone, called two places found one with it in stock and had them give me the part for the same price as he would have. The other place honored the price (below their's). Now that was customer service at both places and I will go back to both again.

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

As a customer I hate the phone menus. I also hate to hear hype, and buzzwords IE; 6061-T6 "aircraft grade" aluminum, might as well just say most common grade aluminum. Sales staff that won't acknowledge you, or shadow you relentlessly.

When I had my shop, I would spend enough time with my customers so that they got what they wanted.I would explain things like heat treating, etc so that they knew exactly what was involved, or why I wanted to do something a certain way, so that they wouldn't think I was just doing it to charge more. They always had the last say in how it was done. In some cases I was able to recommend a simpler, less expensive option. In other cases it was to prevent a returned item. We had a pump brought in where the customer (George)wanted a close fit on the impeller bushing. We gave it around a .002" running fit. When he came in he said that what he meant by close was .015". That is why I always asked "How close is close?" after that happened. George turned out to be the best advertising we had, he let everyone he worked with know about us. We worked on some of our days off, 24hrs+, and did what we needed to in order to get jobs done on time, or help a customer who was in a bind. Sometimes we had to eat some time , and cost, but we adjusted for the next job.

[billp]

To do the best job you can in what you make or sell.
To be knowledgeable in what you sell.
To be polite and respectful
To show confidence not arrogance there but gaining respect in showing respect.
To keep communication open and answer all the customer's questions no matter how many or how foolish. If you don't know the answer to questions research it or find someone who does and respond as soon as you can.
All in all the customer is the most important person cause with our them you make no money so do what you need to please them with in your ability and reason.
BillP