Has customer service gotten better or worse?

Has customer service gotten better or worse? You would be surprised at the responses. Or maybe you wouldn’t be surprised. I’m sure you’ve had a conversation around the service you’ve received within the past 2 weeks. How would you answer the question?

Here are some of the responses (complete list available on request)

• “Service is bad because the people hired aren’t in the right seat.”
• “There’s a need for more training on how to deliver excellent service.”
• “Employees might be burned out, so they’re not engaged.”
• “The people serving don’t have the passion for what they do.”
• "The business sets the bar for service low."
• "The business doesn't?care about the customer."

From these responses we can conclude that most state customer service has gotten worse. Now from the business point of view there are several factors to consider.

“Labor shortage” “supply chain issues” “no time to train” “fast-paced environment” “pandemic”

Providing poor service based on the above issues is no excuse. Bad service makes one feel disrespected; it shows a disregard of a customer’s time, dignity, and intelligence.

If the above reasons are accurate, wouldn't it be beneficial for sustainability to focus on providing excellent service.

My next question, what does world class service mean to you as a customer?

The responses:

“When the business shows they value my time.”

“The salesperson has a pleasant/upbeat attitude.”

“The salesperson is knowledgeable.”

“The salesperson goes beyond my expectations.”

“The salesperson doesn’t blame others for the bad service”.

Looking at the customers point of view is essential in understanding what the customer needs. Knowing what the customer needs or wants is vital to being able to provide service that goes beyond answering a question or two to establishing a trusting relationship with the customer.

The approach to providing your customers with world class service goes beyond simplistic slogans of “the customer is always right” or citing company core values such as we provide the highest standards of service, customer responsiveness, integrity, accountability and so on; then not walking the talk. Customers today are smart and see-through service that is basically just telling the customer what they want to hear.

As you reread this article, think about the level of service you provide. What would your customers say if you’d asked them that question?

Has the level of your service gotten better or worse?

If you are looking to increase your customer retention, enhance your customer support, or become more customer centric contact Sheryl Mays, Chief Experience Officer at email or visit our website.