Poor customer service = bad PR

Yet again this week, I’ve had speedier and better customer service through complaining on Twitter than I’ve had from contacting the company in question. On the one hand, I’m delighted to see social media working well. On the other though, what does that say about the level of customer service we’re being offered (and accepting) from businesses today?

Why should our complaints not be dealt with efficiently, courteously and quickly on the phone or by email? Why should we be constantly fobbed off by truculent call centre operatives, front line staff who appear to need basic customer service training or endless automated phone systems? Clearly that’s not always the case and I’ve certainly received some excellent service and where that’s happened, I always say thanks and go on to do more business with the company.

The key word here, of course, is ‘service’ and picking up on Jamie Oliver and David Cameron’s comments recently about young people being disinclined to do certain jobs, it does seem that there is a percentage of people in the UK who feel that doing anything which offers a service to others is somehow beneath them.

Essential elements when considering a business’s perception to its customers and potential customers, effective reputation management or successful marketing, are the quality of its people as well as the quality of the service/product being offered. Every business will have its own corporate culture and it’s vital that everyone acts as an ambassador for the business at all times. Just one incident of poor customer service may result in the customer going elsewhere for good. That has an effect on the company’s bottom line, not least of which through word of mouth, and in turn the ability to keep staff employed. Does every company explain that clearly to its people? Would staff act differently if they realised that each phone call, email or contact could have an effect on their jobs and those of their colleagues?

As an example, I want to buy an item from an organisation which sells in the UK but emanates from the US. They are out of stock of the item in the UK but have some in the US. How easy would it be to send one directly from the US to me; I’m happy to pay the extra postage? It seems I’ve entered into protracted correspondence with the company, which can’t find its way round its own procedures to make one customer satisfied and also make a sale. How bizarre is that? I want to give them money and they don’t want it!

Companies are keen to get it right on social media these days and increasingly so. I’d like to see as much effort go into face-to-face customer service, telephone and email communication as well.

How do they get away with it? Because we let them!

Originally published in The Argus on 5.11.13