Serve and Prosper

Technology is advancing in today's marketplace faster than it ever has. New gadgets are brought to the market every day that are one step beyond while having more and better features than their predecessors. With the endless amount of choices in the market, consumers can also literally find products and services that so closely resemble one another that differences are hardly discernible. From automobiles to video games, competing companies have amassed products that bear such a resemblance to one another that choosing from the pack can be a daunting task. This factor also implies that just having a great product is not a guarantee of success because there are multiple products that are as good or better in today's competitive environment.

There is one factor, in the business world today, that cannot be overlooked and is the main difference between success and failure; that factor is customer service. In today's dog-eat-dog world, customer service is the main component that can sway a prospective buyer in your direction just as a lack of it can send would-be customers running in a different direction. However, most people possess an outdated viewpoint on the true meaning of what customer service is. Customer service extends beyond holding a door open for guests or refunding money for an item that didn't live up to expectations; it's about providing a level of service in such that your customers receive full benefit from the products and services you offer while producing a FEELING that cannot be had anywhere else. That's right a FEELING.

As an example, Starbuck's rise in the world of coffee had far more to do with the feeling you would get from hanging out at a Starbuck's than from the coffee itself. Sure, the java rocks and the frappachinos are delightful, but the fact is that people love to hang out at Starbuck's for the feeling they got when they just plain hung out there. Exceptional customer service moves products more than the product moves itself. Can't imagine anybody in their right mind paying four bucks for a cup of Joe at the PTA meeting at the local elementary school but stuff those same people into a trendy Starbuck's on Melrose Ave and you've got a winner. (Mr. Schultz must have seen that coming from miles away.)

Now let's shed some light on an example where even a superior product does not overcome a consumer's PERCEPTION of poor customer service. I have used Verizon as my cell phone carrier for several years. But as soon as the latest version of the Iphone was introduced, I have to admit, I have been jonesing for one of Apple's little wonders. However, no matter how highly I regard the quality of the Iphone, I cannot justify leaving Verizon and my eight year old dinosaur phone for what I have been led to believe is less than perfect customer service with AT&T. Even though I have never dealt directly with AT&T, I can only base my view of them from my experience with them compared to Verizon to whom I fork over my money every month. (Smart folks they are) I FEEL Verizon has better customer service so that who gets my money. Again, they get my vote for the customer service; not the phones.

So the moral of the story lies in the fact that people will pay more for the service rendered and the feeling they get from that service than for the value of the actual product they are buying. Customer service extends way beyond the tangibles and deep into the vast depths of the intangibles. Keep in mind, when you're confident about the quality of your products or services, customer service also implies or makes certain that you insist that your customer immediately starts benefitting from your products or services. That's right, as a service to your customers, you FEEL that your prospects are far better off WITH than WITHOUT your products or services. That's caring for your clients and that's what I call customer service. And you can take that to the bank.