Customer Service is NOT a Department

In the business world, customer service is far more than a department name or a desk that shoppers or clients go to with problems and complaints. It's not a website, or a phone number, or an option on a pre-recorded phone menu. Nor is it a task or a chore. It's a personal responsibility.

It is not the responsibility only of people called customer service reps. It is a responsibility of everyone in an organisation, from the CEO to the newest and the lowest ranking frontline employee. In fact, everyone in the company should be thought of as a customer service rep, because in one way or another each of them has some impact on, and bears some responsibility for , the quality of the customer experience. Even if you never see or speak to a customer, you need to treat everyone with whom you interact- your vendors, your creditors, your suppliers, and so on - with respect and sincerity. Great service serves the bottom-line business objectives.

Time and again, customer service has been shown to be the best way to distinguish an outstanding company or organisation from it's competitors. No matter what business you are in, great service is a competitive advantage that costs you little or nothing but adds huge value for your customer. And it is one advantage you cannot afford to pass up, because in today's highly competitive marketplace your customers will leave you in a heartbeat if your service does not measure up.

Don't get confused about the differences between the services you sell and customer service. Services are what consumers come to you for and pay for. Customer service encompasses the entire experience, from the moment a person log on to your website or walks through your front door until the moment they log off or walk out. It's what brings the human into a transaction. Emotional element is as important as or even more important than the money that changes hands. That is why it should be delivered not just competently, but with ultimate respect, sincerity, and care.

Therefore, everyone in a company should be considered part of the customer service department. Great service does not cost any more money than average poor service. Yet the returns it delivers are spectacular.