Customer servie is a key component to new business in a feedback-heavy marketplace.
The retail industry is more competitive than ever. There are more ways to shop from store to store through websites and more ways to make a purchase. The challenge businesses face in this growing market for goods is separating themselves from their competitors. Impact Martin Sheen is looking at how customer service can be an important strategy to building a brand.
Regardless of the type of merchandise a business sells or the size of the company, there will be customer issues. Defective products, lost orders or slow deliveries can all crop up over time, and they usually do. No company is immune to errors, and how they are handled can mean a lot both to the customer and the company.
Martin Sheen PBS has found that while the most desirable result is an uneventful sale, it does not always happen. Companies that see customer problems as an opportunity are separating themselves from their competitors largely through word-of-mouth.
By resolving customer service issues promptly and satisfactorily for the customer, businesses can actually help grow their brand. Deep down, most customers prefer an uneventful purchase but they know that accidents and mistakes happen. The true test is how those issues are resolved.
Businesses that create a positive experience through good customer service that corrects problems can often create more goodwill than the uneventful purchase. Often customers who have issues that are resolved quickly and satisfactorily will share their experiences with friends through social media and other means. This creates a confidence in a brand that if things go wrong, they will be corrected.
Impact with Martin Sheen is looking at many of these new customer service strategies through the TV program on public television and the website at www.impactptv.com. These new reports will be airing in 2013 along with other stories that are important to the business community.