In a country where entrepreneurship is on everyone’s lips and the customer is spoilt for choice to find a service provider varying from the small one man business to the corporate giants, reasonable prices and expertise are not the only requirements to guarantee the attraction and retention of customers.

But what does provide that competitive edge?

Customer service. Customers are shunning businesses who do not deliver value and customer service has become one of the highest ranking elements on the list. Customers are a business’s biggest asset and should be the focus of the business, just as much as the services or products. The people aspect of business has become the core of customer retention and the growth of business entities. Companies cannot afford to set a predetermined level of service, it must be constantly reviewed to ensure it is not falling behind the competition.

At the heart of good customer service is a solid relationship with each and every client, a relationship in which you make your client feel special and where you can exceed their expectations. This will ensure that they want to continue doing business with you and will recommend your business to their friends. Businesses are required to persistently ‘over’ deliver to thrill the client and convert ordinary clients into lifetime clients.

It is vital to treat clients as individuals, to make them feel important and appreciated. This means ensuring that a client feels comfortable to call you whenever they have something to discuss and never making them feel as though they are interrupting your day. We need to be able to see things from the clients’ perspective so that we can understand what they require from us and understand their individual circumstances. Clients want to feel like a priority so take time to give your full attention to their issues and to resolve problems in an effective manner. A client needs to feel that they are taken seriously at all times and depend on us to have the requisite knowledge and to provide them with information that can assist them even if they have not asked for it. People are quite perceptive and know whether or not your concern is genuine. 

At the same time we need to realise that the quality of customer service is determined by the quality of the people providing it, therefore adequate care must be taken in the selection and training of staff. Employees are our in-house clients and are likely to treat customers in the same manner in which they are treated. Just like clients, they are individuals with the same needs. If we treat our staff with respect, provide them with regular appreciation, find ways to let them know they are important and thank them for their work, chances are they will provide better service to all their clients.

Michelle van Coppenhagen

Supervisor, Johannesburg