customer service in sales

what is customer service

the assistance of advice provided by a company to those people who buy or use its products or services

what are two important insights of customer service

1. customer service is NOT just making a customer happy

2. it includes both “assistance” and “advice”

when does customer service exist

before, during, and after the sale

the world has shifted from “sellers marketplace” to

buyers marketplace

what do customers have more of now than every before

power - the number of potential vendors has increased while the dollars a customer allocates has decreased

supply is ___ , demand is ___

up, down

what does the paradigm come from changes in

• increasing power in the customers’ favor

• technological advancements in a variety of areas

why is customer service critical?

Customers and vendors have increased their focus on:

• IT systems to satisfy customers’ expectations

• connectivity of systems into a congruent interface

is the customer always right?

NO

• often wrong

• does not mean we argue

• satisfaction and fairness are crutial

MYTH or TRUE? unhappy customers leave, happy customers stay

MYTH; happy customers leave all the time, and unhappy customers stay all the time

if you close for the sake of closing…

customers will leave for the sake of leaving

consultative approach

ask questions pertaining to the customer, listen, immerse yourself in their business, act to help not sell

qualities of world class customer service organizations

know your metrics, be transparent, honor your employees’ personalities, invest heavily in training, encourage team, hire those passionate to solve problems, hire people that “make it happen”, create your own leaders, trust and empower your employees