Customer Service ...

... is a hot and widely discussed topic. It can make the difference for a business to fail or succeed, especially SMEs. I am not the person who likes to give phone calls neither having a face-to-face conversation with a sales person. It is just not my thing. I am getting more "inspired" in emails and filling out webforms.

I recently contacted a magazine I really like and asked them about a previous issue. No reply, not via webform neither by direct email. I was disappointed and most customers would obviously give up at this point. But lucky for the, I really wanted this magazine. So I stepped out of my comfort zone and gave a phone call including another 20min being on hold. That's how badly I wanted it. Obviously my patience was worth it. I got everything I wanted.

Was that bad service or just bad luck that my information didn't go through? I always try to see things from different perspectives. You don't know the person nor the system set up on the other side (if they have a system). Unfortunately, the business would have lost the sale/opportunity anyway.

Photo courtesy by Markus Brosch

There are companies out there, that are well known and highly awarded for the best customer service ever. Did I mention I have a Mac ;o) So, good customer service is most likely a win-win situation, isn't it? Unfortunately, in some regions we don't get the choice between different suppliers. This issue occurs especially in telecommunication. Then we have to live with the service they provide, like >60 min on hold? This doesn't look like a win-win situation, not to me.

I am convinced that this will change and such companies will need to improve their customer service. Technology improves rapidly and when you are ready for it, the world is open for you. And that brings in so many opportunities to chose from. Companies need to be more flexible, if they are clever enough and listen to the market.