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It is the level of customer service provided by a business which dictates whether we come back to buy more or vow never to return. I recently had an experience which is a perfect example of this:

My partner and I decided to check out a new caf which is marketing itself on the quality of its food and drink. As we walked through the door we noticed that the opening hours indicated the place should have closed half an hour before. My partner asked a waitress if they were about to close. She looked confused and said she would have to ask her colleague. A few minutes later her colleague rushed past us without acknowledgement and began banging about with the coffee machine. After a few moments, when she had neither spoken nor looked at us, we took our leave, despite having made a special trip to get there. Do you think we are likely to return?

The International Customer Service Institute polled 20,000 people who had chosen not to go back to a business. 32% had not returned for a wide variety of reasons ranging from moving from the area to preferring a competitor.

A massive 68%, however, had decided to take their custom elsewhere simply because of the indifference of an employee they had dealt with. Just one negative contact can send your customers elsewhere, never to return.

A high level of customer service is essential to ensure both the long-term health and reputation of your business and your own job satisfaction. In my article Customer Service the Best Way to Deal with Customers I look at the choices we have in our daily encounters with our customers and clients.

Andy Britnell specialises in sales and customer service training for the private and public sectors. Go to http://www.andybritnell.co.uk/ and you can sign up for my FREE monthly newsletter and FREE e-mail coaching.

I coach corporate and SME clients who wish to achieve better results - see http://www.executive-coaching-for-business-growth.com/

# posted by licking35430 @ 5:07 PM