When you think of the top companies in any industry, it’s likely that the first thing that comes to mind is their product. You think about how it looks, how it performs, and how it makes you feel when you use or consume it.
But there’s another factor in the appeal of companies you prefer—one that’s just as important to their success (and your ranking of them) as their products. The best companies provide great customer service.
In Contact With Customers or Behind the Scenes: Attentive Service Is Essential
People tend to associate customer service with the interactions they have with a company representative. And if everything about the product they’ve purchased is as expected, they probably don’t need to have any interactions at all.
But that doesn’t mean the company isn’t “serving” its customers. Much of excellent customer service happens behind the scenes. It includes efforts, large and small, to ensure customers have a positive experience when buying from the company and using its products. For example, how a business packages, distributes, and delivers its goods is critical.
So are the ways the company communicates with its existing and potential customers. That can be through its website, social media accounts, email, and other methods. And, of course, the way that a company’s reps talk with customers on the phone can make all the difference in how that person perceives the business.
The Theoretical and Practical Benefits of Great Customer Service
The business gurus will tell you that providing exceptional customer service is vital for many reasons. Some of the most commonly cited include that it helps the company:
- Get new customers
- Retain existing customers
- Promote positive “word of mouth”
- Increase profitability
- Gain an edge over its competitors
And the list goes on and on. Those theoretical benefits surely are valid and important. But at Eldorado Natural Spring Water, we enjoy multiple practical benefits of prioritizing our customers’ needs over other business concerns. For instance, we find that adopting a service-oriented approach:
- Creates a positive work environment. By encouraging our customer service reps (and everyone in the company, really) to listen carefully and fully understand a customer’s question or concern, we turn them into customer advocates. So, instead of butting heads with people all day, they partner with them to achieve their desired outcomes. And that makes working here very enjoyable.
- Adds a little bit to the “greater good.” Getting prompt, attentive service when you call to order delicious, natural spring water, ask a question about your account, etc., isn’t going to change the world dramatically. But when you get off the phone or finish reading written correspondence and know that you’ve been heard and respected, you go out into the world a little more upbeat and energized, and that can make all the difference.
- Helps us and our customers stay focused on what matters most. Companies are in business to make a profit, and customers engage with them to get their needs met. But after a payment has hit our bank account or a bottle of water has been enjoyed, it’s history. The memories our team members and customers have of their interactions—those last much longer. Our customer service reps could be “all business” and do the bare minimum to comply with customer requests, but why go through life that way? It’s so much more enjoyable to be an engaged, compassionate human!
So, if you ever need to contact us, you can expect that our outstanding products are backed by exemplary customer service. Not because we demand that of our team members, but because they want to provide great service.
And if you’re not being treated that way by another provider, we encourage you to talk with us and learn how it feels to purchase natural spring water from a company where you get “the whole package.”
