I believe that we are on the precipice of a new age that I like to think of as the Customer Service Revolution (CSR). Technology is influencing our live more than at any other time in history. But the technological advances we have experienced in the last twenty years are almost nothing compared to those that will occur in the next decades.
Customers literally have a world of choices. I purchase pharmaceuticals from the other side of the world on a regular basis. I do work for clients thousands of miles away simply with the click of a button. Things happen quickly and people expect fast service.
Small businesses can look like large corporations with some smart promo packages and a good website.
As business owners and operators we all have access to new and developing markets and new sources of customers. It doesn’t take a lot to start and run your own business. Pay a few fees and register a name, and bingo — you are a business owner and operator. This means that we are all facing increased competition, and I believe that the competition we face today is nothing compared to the competition we will face tomorrow.
As competition for market share becomes tougher, manufacturers and suppliers have to be highly competitive in their pricing if they want to stay in business.
But the main thing that gives one business an advantage over others is customer service.
Those businesses that are smart enough to realise that their future success lies with increasing levels of customer service will prosper in the coming decades.
The consumer backlash against having to stand in long queues in banks, dentistries, pharmacies and other institutions, or against being put on hold for long periods of time, is allowing room for smarter operators to come in and develop their own market share simply by offering better levels of service at the same price.
Customers today are time short and demanding.
They know that they have choices, and they are prepared to take their business elsewhere if the service is poor or prices aren’t competitive.
I believe that more customers are lost through lousy service than through poor pricing. If people don’t return your phone calls, don’t deliver on time and don’t thank you for your business, you will take your business elsewhere. And once a customer is lost, it’s very hard to get them back.
So, while this is a testing time for many businesses, there are also enormous upsides.
Customer service is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to improve in any business.
Normally it involves just changing the way things are done. As the Customer Service Revolution goes on, your business can either grow stronger and be a leader in your field, or it can be left behind to wallow with the majority of others.
But finally it’s up to you, dear readers, remember you and only you are the final decision makers. That’s why I would like to wish you to succeed in your business, choose the right way, just go ahead of the future and simply stay the leader in your area.
Sincerely yours,
Vladislav Gurin,
Editor-in-Chief
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