Business Development: The Role of Customer Service

Business Development: The Role of Customer Service

When I ponder the current state of Business Organization's Customer Service Departments and Employees who choose a career path in Customer Service there are two current realities that come to the forefront of my mind from both my diverse experience within Business Organizations and as a typical Consumer who has to communicate and rely on "Customer Service" Departments for assistance:

1. The Customer Service Function is commonly under appreciated today.
2. Opportunities abound for business development and achieving revenue growth from existing customers.

1. Under appreciated

Customer Service / Customer Care Organizations and Employees should be recognized and appreciated for the vital role they play.  The ability to successfully communicate with and service the needs of customers on a daily basis in an often fast-paced and high-stress environment is not easy.  A combination of procedural understanding, technical know-how, product or service in-depth knowledge, and just as importantly great patience and people-skills are required.  Remaining calm and focused in the face of extremely upset and often irrational customers or clients is not easy.  The ability to express empathy, understanding, concern, and a clear willingness to help and ultimately satisfy the needs of customers can be challenging but is vitally important.

What is at stake is the entire investment that made to acquire that customer: advertising, commissions paid to salespeople, etc. 

The cost of loosing a customer is very high.  The cost of that customer spreading negative word of mouth to other potential customers is very high. 

2. Customer Service Business Development Opportunities

Conversely: the benefit and value of a customer that is not only merely satisfied with the service received but in fact so happy with your Customer Service Department and Company that they become a no-cost marketer and advertiser for you spreading positive word-of-mouth is tremendous.  For a progressive Business Organization whose goal is growth this should be the real goal and objective. 

Sales and Customer Service Departments within Business Organizations should be treated as separate and distinct. 

Businesses should strive to build and achieve a free-flow of communication, information, ideas, and feedback between Sales and Customer Service Departments.  Once a deal is closed and a sale is made Sales should not wash their hands clean of responsibility.  Funneling customer feedback back through all channels will help educate and aid in achieving the goal of continuous improvement.  Sales should be in constant communication with Customer Service to maintain a clear understanding all of all concerns and issues that arise that the customers they brought on board experience so that they can: 1. assist to ensure their customer's satisfaction; and 2. assimilate all knowledge obtained back into the Selling Process with a focus on constant improvement in both Sales and Customer Service.

There is a not entirely recognized and untapped great opportunity for Business Organizations to develop additional business and revenue both directly from servicing existing customers and by doing a much better job leveraging their relationships with existing customers to identify and market to new customers. 

If you value and clearly understand the importance of successfully servicing your existing Customers/Clients and are seeking long-term success and growth, focus on the following within your Strategic Planning Process:

• Clearly understand, appreciate, and make a sufficient investment of time and resources into your Customer Service Department.  Is there room for improvement?  Are you loosing too many customers/clients?  Put in place a Customer Service Improvement Program to better train and equip your Customer Service Employees to be a world-class service organization.
• Creatively turn your Customer Service Department into a low-cost Revenue-Generating Machine by training and teaching Employees to adopt an entrepreneurial spirit that, besides trying to exceed customer expectations while providing service on existing products and services, also seeks to extract and achieve new revenue growth at all times when communicating with customers.

A sea-change mentality as I am suggesting here from merely and minimally servicing existing customer's needs to a new-age, proactive, entrepreneurial service organization will produce great results and increasing revenue. 

Selling By Building: Achieve Long-Term Business Success one step or positive interaction at a time.

http://www.sellingbybuilding.com/

The Importance of Positive Communication

The following YouTube Video is a powerful message that helps to illustrate the importance of how we communicate and the impact of the messages that we construct and deliver when we communicate:

http://youtu.be/Hzgzim5m7oU

How well we communicate on a daily basis has a powerful and direct impact on the levels of success that we achieve.

Do you believe that poor communication amongst your Employees or between your Employees and your Customers, Vendors, and Management, is poor and holding your Organization back from achieving even greater levels of success?  Or are you having to spend a great deal of time addressing situations that result from poor communication that is taking you away from more valuable, revenue-generating tasks that you would much rather be focusing on?

You are not alone. 

In most Organizations today there is a great focus of time, energy, and resources on technology and how to best utilize available technology to be as efficient as possible, as competitive as possible, and and profitable as possible.  Of course these are very worthy goals.  But, I contend that we have unintentially taken our focus off of taking steps to increase positive and effective daily communication in all we do on a daily basis: how we communicate; how effectively we communicate; and on how we communicate is impacting our business's success and profitability.

An operating environment and company culture that espouses and takes proactive steps to ensure Consistently Positive Communication throughout an organization provides a business with a competitive strength that has a positive ripple effect throughout the entire organization.  Employees in these organizations are more likely to be highly motivated and to embrace an entrepreneurial spirit.  Because there is open communication and because employees feel more secure and comfortable in these companies they will be more likely to express ideas, make suggestions, and give 110% to the company.  In addition there is a lesser likelihood that employees will be seeking to leave the company.  The high cost of high Employee Turnover makes this a problem to be addressed.  An employee that is relatively happy, content, and that feels comfortable and empowered where they work will be more likely to stay and be committed to their company on a long-term basis.

Selling By Building (http://www.sellingbybuilding.com/) suggests some Simple Steps to take if you have not done so already to easily improve your Company's Communications and Environment:

1. Have a clear and concise Company Mission Statement that is published and consistently articulated to all Employees that will help keep a daily focus on the overriding single most important Goal the Company seeks to achieve.  When the entire Organization has a clear focus and understanding of your Mission they will be better able to stay on course and contribute.  Employees like to feel that they are a key part of their Companies overall success; if they are just told to focus on their specific daily tasks without an understanding of the bigger picture and what their Company is seeking to achieve they will not feel empowered and will be less likely to think out of the box and to be creative.  A strong and well-articulated Mission Statement brings the Organization together and promotes clear vision and greater Teamwork.
2. Have an official set of Company Core Values that you insist your Organization live by and operate according to on a daily basis.  Incorporate into these Core Values the need to have positive and open communication.  Convey that treating each other with respect and working together as a Team is a must. 
3. Do not ignore the Employee that is consistently negative, no longer makes positive contributions to your success, and that willingly undermines Management and the Organization.  Weeds spread very, very quickly.  When not addressed in a timely fashion, they spread and grow.  The analogy is clear.  Strong and positive leadership in an Organization requires immediately addressing and taking action when needed with difficult Employees who, it has become clear over a period of time, is not only no longer an asset but now a liability. 
4. Embrace and require positive and clear communication in your Organization with a consistent focus of resources on Employee Personal Development.  Utilize Individual Development Plans annually to insist on and keep the focus on continual improvement.  To keep these simple and easy to manage and follow through on agree on only two to three specific goals and objectives for each Employee to make a priority in the coming year.  Do not let complacency take hold in your Company; embrace a culture of continuous improvement and skills development.  Educate all Management and Employees on the need for and benefits of living by open, honest, positive communication. 

For more on the subject of Employee Individual Development visit http://www.goalsguy.com/ and click on the "Knowledge" tab.  This Website is a favorite of mine and is a great resource of knowledge, ideas, and tips on Personal Development and utilizing the Power of Goal-Setting as a tool to help us succeed and achieve happiness personally and professionally.

Achieving an environment with Open and Positive Communication along with a company-wide focus on and investment in Employee Development will help you improve employee morale and satisfaction; increase customer satisfaction and retention; and ultimately help you achieve long-term business success: one positive interaction at a time.