The article focuses on the value of customer service in organizations. Customers are important to companies and provide them with returns on investment by using their products or services. With that in mind, customer service support should begin from the top as a strategic decision to improve services. The management should take the lead and be willing to address emerging problems. When companies experience customer service issues, everyone, including the chief executive, should be prepared to act and redeem the situation. The article includes an example of a situation where the executive can save to redeem a company’s reputation by acting fast. The example is of a virgin America plane that was stranded due to extreme weather conditions in 2010. The regional airport’s condition, including lack of equipment and workforce, made it difficult to get the passengers from the plane CEO David Cush called the stranded passengers, a response that made the desperate customers happy. The customer service decision made a positive impression as the press publicized it.
The example shows the impact of effective customer service, but the article warns that strategic action should not be reserved for an emergency. Companies should make constant communication with customers a norm to ensure that they understand all situations and be alert if things are going bad. Luckily, the management and customer service employees can obtain information from letters and social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, to understand their customers. The author suggests the importance of using the information and the need to eradicate the view that customer service is a cost. After all, customer service is an investment for companies to advertise their products and services through word of mouth and improve their sales as returns on investment.
The management can create a customer service culture by encouraging all employees to be innovative and generate new ideas and solutions to improve the activity. They should experiment and provide suggestions to their colleagues and even managers about how to relate better with their customers. The article recommends that managers should create an environment for employees to generate ideas and share them. Companies should learn from Virgin’s mantra that no idea is stupid. Collecting as many ideas as possible will help companies to improve their customer service. Besides, they should also collect information from customers to make strategic decisions since they should all be focused on customers. For example, when implementing a new product, information from customers could ensure that it meets their needs. Such customer service can make a difference between successful and unsuccessful business.
Customer service sustains business by creating trust and loyalty. The activity creates a positive image of the company and a place where customers would want to come back for more products or services. The article recommends the need to create a positive culture and image for customers and employees. After all, creating a positive relationship between the two stakeholders will make the business successful. The management should encourage the culture by rewarding customer service heroes. Successful companies should keep employees motivated to improve their customer service and make the company a place where customers want to come back for more products and services. Effective customer service will improve customer loyalty for long-term business success. The article challenges all companies to ensure that their employees understand the value of customer service.