When it comes to customer service, most of us have been on both sides of the coin. Whether it’s been restaurants, retail, or even a new business, everyone at some point has had an interaction with customer service. However, with something so commonplace, what separates the goods from the great?
Providing excellent customer service is no easy task. It requires a sense of humility, dignity, and patience, as well as a knack for being a people person in general. And while it’s not always the easiest occupation to hold, it can also be one of the most rewarding in terms as it’s the first point of entry in building a relationship with a customer that could be with you for life. Below we’ve listed a few examples of industries where great customer service can make or break your business.
Wedding
Everyone wants their special day to be, well, special. And as expensive as weddings are, having an incredible experience throughout is absolutely imperative to ensuring future recommendations. Plus, this is the type of industry where people want everything to be curtailed to their likings, making the customer service process the primary point of contact.
Food and Beverage
If you’ve ever worked in the service industry, then you know what it’s like to have a table of ten all ask for separate checks…while a few of them simultaneously complain about the food. There’s that, plus a whole laundry list of other things you’re dealing with in real time, enough that would make anyone want to pull their hair out and scream. In yet, we do it with a smile on our face. Why? Because customer service is the staple of food and beverage.
At the end of the day, most people go out to eat because they don’t want to (or can’t) cook for themselves. Not only do they want someone else to make their food for them but they also want someone to serve it too. When you break it down, it’s silly for most people to complain about their service as they have the basic comprehension and ability level to make food, they’d just rather have someone else do it. But then again, that’s the magic of the industry (and where the competition lies), is who can get people to come back the most by providing the best service.
Retail
We’ve all had an awful experience or two in a retail store. Maybe there wasn’t anyone around to help, or things were disorganized, or even the person we were talking couldn’t care less about what we’re after. Granted, the world of retail can be laborious at times, but having great service in it is key to driving sales.
To give people a good experience at a store, your staff can’t be too ‘salesy.’ Additionally, no matter the product, they have to be great educators to the customer, making them feel as though they’re gaining a sense of inside information. Finally, you should always invoke a feeling that your product isn’t just what the customer wanted, but wanted and didn’t know they could have.
Financial Services
We all have a sensitive relationship with our money. After all, it’s what allows us to do pretty much any and everything we need or want to do. And when it comes to the people that handle our money, we have a very high bar as to what our expectations are.
When it comes to customer service in the financial service industry, promptness is essential, as well as having a transparent dialogue. On any given day you could deal with problems from someone having their debit card stolen to money being accidentally deducted from their account. These are really big deals to customers, and being right there walking them through every step is critical to success.
New Technologies/Startups:
I can’t stress enough how important it is to have great customer service for your startup. As a new business, you’re under a heavy amount of scrutiny, as people are not only figuring out what you do but what you’re about as well. Any disparaging comments or negative reviews could tank your firm before it even gets off the ground. However, there’s also a positive here in that establishing quality customer service off the bat will not only save you a ton on keeping these processes consistent as you grow but additionally gives you the chance to hone in on your messaging.
