One of the deep secrets of life is that all that is really worth doing is what we do for others. ~ Lewis Carroll
When first nominated as DemGen’s Expert of the Month, I could only think, what on earth will I write about?
Seeing as I’m responsible for the majority of the blog posts for DemGen, that shouldn’t have been a problem but I had a difficult time thinking of myself as an expert on anything in particular. I may have talents in certain areas and may also be quite good at several things, but an expert?
My final decision to write about customer service was based on a longstanding and firm belief that customer service is not just what we say to people on the telephone or how we say it. It isn’t the sales pitch we give to customers in retail stores or our contact with others online, whether through websites, blogs or social media.
Sometimes customer service can be a conversation between two or more people that involves the give and take of information, including how they feel about a certain service or product. It can also be something we give or do for others but not in the way that we usually think of as customer service. I’ll get into that later in the month.
Long before I heard the expression customer service, I had been well versed in the use of manners. Growing up when I did, manners were important and if you were rude, impolite or didn’t have “good manners”, you were told about it. By everyone.
When you look at the title of this blog post, you may get the wrong idea. This month’s posts are not exactly what you may expect. They aren’t about the evolution of manners or how customer service came to be. They are more to do with how we view customer service at different ages, from quite young and on through the years, as we mature. They are also about what customer service really is and what it can be. It can be obvious, it can be behind the scenes or it can be masquerading as something else entirely.
What some business owners don’t know is that it doesn’t matter what type of business you are in, one way or another you will still be providing a product or service for someone else. Anyone who deals with the public in any way at all, even in the background, is providing some type of service for customers or clients and this is where many make their first error.
A customer’s perception of what they receive from you will differ from your perception of what you are selling/giving/offering or providing to or for them in return. What they may expect from you can be totally different than the service, product or experience you are providing.
Your customer wants several things:
They want to feel good.
They want to feel that they have received excellent value.
They also want to feel special.
Notice that all three revolve around your customer’s feeling. Also, these three things usually have different meanings for everyone, which is why automating customer service doesn’t work.
We all dislike being treated in the same way. Each of us is unique and we all react appreciatively when that’s recognized. Even when we’re very young, we can tell when someone isn’t paying attention to us or is treating us as if we aren’t important.
In my next several posts I’ll give you some examples of how customer service affects us at different stages of our lives and, in turn, our reactions. I’ll also tell you a few short stories of experiences I have had in the past, while both on the receiving and the giving end of different types of customer service.
Until next week,
Chris Draper
image courtesy of Humboldt University of Berlin
© 2012 DemGen All Rights Reserved.
Hi Chris,
Thank you for this post. It’s a great model for the Expert feature and I look forward to the build throughout the month. Customer Service is also very near and dear to me, having started my career in the hospitality industry. It does stand out when recieved – just as it does with your dedicated service. Thank you ~ Gary