What is customer service worth to companies? From time to time we are faced with situations that make us think that companies do not understand how valuable it is to their business.
The other day I heard a work colleague complaining about bad service at one of the utility companies here in Barbados. She went to collect an item, but was told by a male employee that she would have to return in an hour because he could not leave his desk and the person who was in charge of the item, was not there. He was very rude and was not willing to offer another solution to the customer.
So as my friend was leaving, she ran into another employee of the same utility company and explained the situation to her. The lady instructed my friend to follow her and she went and got the item that she needed without any fuss. On their way in, they passed the same male employee who rudely said that she would have to go to the marketing department to get the item. I’m convinced that he was embarrassed after he saw that his colleague extended a helping hand to my friend and gave her the item even though “the person was not there.”
What is customer service worth to me? In my opinion, good customer service is priceless! And the benefits of good customer service, will automatically flow to the provider of the service. I believe that when I enter any establishment, I should be greeted with a smile and basic manners. That dude was a perfect example of what you should not do to customers. It does not matter that she was not paying that particular utility at the time. She is a customer who was in the area and decided to make a stop.
And to pay a bill that is always ridiculously high, you do not expect that kind of service. If you’re taking my hard-earned money for a service that could be a tad cheaper, at least be nice about it. As a main service provider (with a monopoly) that services the entire island, you should make it clear to ALL of your employees that each and every customer is important!
What is customer service worth to you as a consumer?