Home › Business › Business
Employees affect customer service
STORY TOOLS 
More from BusinessThe quality of the customer service your company provides will have an effect on the net profit of your business.
Even with the best of intentions, many companies only give lip service to this very critical area. It is necessary that every employee be tuned in to how he or she can contribute to outstanding customer service — the kind of customer service that keeps customers coming back.
"Customer service" includes every element of the sales transaction between your business and a customer. Although you may consider customer service just a matter of being polite to customers, it actually involves many areas, including the following:
- Being truthful in advertising your product or service.
- Providing a product or service that meets or exceeds customer expectations.
- Being prompt in delivering your product or service.
- Letting customers know that you appreciate their business.
- Handling customer complaints or other concerns promptly and politely.
- Being polite and cheerful in dealing with customers — even when they're "just looking" instead of buying.
Every one of your employees should be able to compile a list of the behaviors that contribute to good customer service in your specific line of business. Have your employees bring their lists to a staff meeting and compare notes. Discuss the areas where your company could improve customer service.
Then decide on specific actions to take and decide who will take them and when. It's important to follow through to be sure that the changes you decide to make are actually made.
Get your employees involved. Be persistent and consistent in improving customer service. Your net profit will show the positive results of your efforts.
— Sandra J. Sunken , a certified public accountant, is a principal of Sunken Accountancy Corp., with an office at 1891 Goodyear Ave., Suite 618, Ventura. Call 658-1272 with questions.
(Requires free registration.)
Article discussions on this site are to support community debates of issues related to our stories and editorials.
Discussions should not stray from the subject of the story or editorial.
We do not allow the following:
We reserve the right to delete threads and/or ban users for these or other reasons we deem necessary.
Opinions are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. You agree not to post comments that are off topic, defamatory, obscene, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be banned. Click here for our full user agreement.