Customer service is a straightforward yet potentially lethal element of business.

Today, I understood the significance of excellent customer service and the necessity of training service staff to master the art of serving. Even if the product and primary service are valuable, they can be diminished if the service value chain is of poor quality.

I headed out for a haircut at Barber A, whose branch X is quite a distance from my home, requiring a 6km drive. This is my usual spot for a trim. However, I had discovered that Barber A also has a branch Y closer to me, only about 4.5km away. On my first visit there, I got my usual plain haircut without any styling or shaping. Everything was satisfactory, although the price was higher than what I typically pay at branch X.

Earlier today, I revisited Barber A at outlet Y for another haircut. Upon arriving, I found a queue and positioned myself as the third in line. When the next customer finished, the barber mentioned having a client who had requested a call when they were ready. After contacting them, the client arrived 10 minutes later, and the barber began their haircut. Meanwhile, another individual showed up after me, expressed dissatisfaction about the wait, and suggested he might leave and return later. To retain him as a customer, one of the barbers invited him to sit for a haircut immediately, without consulting me, even though I had arrived earlier. I ended up spending around 40 minutes there. Then, power went out, and there were issues with the backup generator, yet no updates were provided to us patrons about the situation.

While sitting there, I began searching online for alternative barbershops. I found one located in Highlands, so I decided to drive there. Unfortunately, when I arrived, I discovered that the barber had moved to a new location. The new spot was even farther away than both outlet Y and X of barber A. I figured it made sense to head to outlet X since I've never had any issues with the hair cutting team there. Upon my arrival, I was greeted with "ah murungu mauya," and invited to take a seat for a haircut. When asked what style I wanted, I replied with my usual choice, a simple one. In about 20 minutes, I was on my way home, having left a tip for the barber.

Imagine from thinking of changing the barber to leaving a tip. That is how the customer world is. Gone are the days customers used to be treated as if they are begging for service. Information is ubiquitous. You can lose customers without even knowing because of attitude, complacency, lack of care and lack of communication.

?? Lesson learned

?? A customer can leave if you do not handle them properly, even if they do not complain, do not wait for a customer to come to you and complain. Do the proper thing the first time.

?? Frontline team needs service training, taking any person into front service without training them is very risky, unless they proof that they are capable beyond reasonable doubt.

?? Maintaining a professional demeanor is essential, as even those who are generally laid-back appreciate professionalism. However, individuals who are professional tend to frown upon informal methods. To ensure you are on the safe side in customer service, stick with a professional approach.

?? There's always someone out there delivering services of equal or superior quality. Never become complacent due to your current sales, income, or customer base. Someone is always working hard to outdo you or provide the service in a more effective manner. Approach your offerings as if you're striving to establish a foothold in the marketplace.

?? Some of the concepts used here are borrowed from ITIL IT Service Management. Additionally, a book Be our Guest, perfecting the art of customer service by Disney Institute with Theodore Kinni.

#customercare #service #ITIL # ITSM #professionalism