• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Advertise
  • Submissions
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Jan 22, 2021
  • Startup
    • Creating a Plan
    • Funding a Startup
    • Franchise Center
    • Getting Your Office Ready
    • Making Your Business Official
    • Marketing Your New Business
    • Personal Readiness
  • Run & Grow
    • Customer Service
    • Human Resources
    • Innovation
    • Legal
    • Operations
    • Risk Management
  • Leadership
    • Best Practices
    • Communication
    • Green Initiatives
    • Open Culture
    • Strategic Planning
    • People Skills
  • Sales & Marketing
    • Advertising and Lead Generation
    • Marketing Innovations
    • Marketing Plans
    • Online Marketing
    • Relationships
    • Sales Activities
  • Finance
    • Budgeting and Personal Finance
    • Payments and Collections
    • Tax and Accounting
    • Pricing Strategy
    • Working with Investors
    • Working with Lenders
  • Tech
    • eCommerce
    • Hardware
    • Software
    • Security
    • Tech Reviews
    • Telecom
  • Shop

SmallBizClub

Helping You Succeed

efile4biz banner
Home / Run and Grow / Customer Service / Amazing Customer Service Gives a Competitive Edge
Amazing Customer Service Gives a Competitive Edge

Amazing Customer Service Gives a Competitive Edge

1578 Views

Aug 1, 2013 By Shep Hyken

Customer service gives you the competitive edge. It’s that simple. If what you sell is the same as what your competitor sells, customer service can tip the scale in your favor. For the right level of customer service, some customers will drive further, wait longer, and even be willing to spend more money to get a better level of service.

 
The companies that deliver a higher level of customer service are . . . amazing. Hang with me just a bit longer to understand what makes these companies amazing, and how you can and should be able to deliver that same level of customer service.
 
First, we must define customer amazement. Amazing customer service isn’t an over-the-top WOW level of service. Here is the real secret. Amazing customer service is just a little better than average. That in itself isn’t amazing. What makes it amazing is when it is a little better than average—all of the time. It’s the consistency that makes the difference. It’s the consistency that creates confidence. It’s the consistency that drives customer loyalty.
 
And a little bit better than average is within the grasp of everyone and every company. Sure, there will be some people and companies that that have opportunities to WOW the customer with over-the-top service, but that is impossible to do every time. When you study the best companies, what you will find is that they are simply better than average, all of the time.
 
Typically, over-the-top customer service is a once-in-a-while incident. Something has to happen that causes the employees to fix a problem, react to a situation or take advantage of an unusual occurrence. However, the best companies don’t wait for that incident to happen. They look at all of the typical “touch points” that a customer has within their organization, and they find ways to bump up the experience just a notch above average. Their goal is to “operationalize” it and make it normal.
 
How does this happen? The right system is in place, but that is nothing without the right people. Owners, executives and managers have their part in all of this; however, when it comes to great customer service, it doesn’t matter what your title is. Everyone is a leader. Everyone has a role in delivering great service. Everyone can become the role model that others look up to and want to emulate. Customer service is not a department. It’s a philosophy. It’s everyone’s job!
 
So here is the bottom line. If a company wants to be known for being amazing, then employees must be focused on the simplistic idea of being better than average, all of the time. It takes focus and a constant attention to detail. It is a mindset that is put into practice every day.
 

Filed Under: Customer Service Tagged With: Competitors, Consistence, Culture, Customer Loyalty, Customer Service, Differentiation, Philosophy, Shep Hyken

Shep Hyken

Shep Hyken

Shep Hyken is a customer experience expert and the Chief Amazement Officer of Shepard Presentations. He is a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author and has been inducted into the National Speakers Association Hall of Fame for lifetime achievement in the speaking profession. Shep works with companies and organizations who want to build loyal relationships with their customers and employees. For more articles on customer service and business go to http://www.hyken.com.

Related Posts

  • How to Minimise Disruption During Office Changes
  • How Do I Stand Out From the Crowd?
  • Culture and Values Count in Leadership

Primary Sidebar

efile4biz banner

Random

Do’s and Don’ts of Interviewing

Jun 8, 2018 By Brian Wallace

How to Think Like a Growth CEO

Jan 16, 2017 By Dave Berkus

Beware the Dangers of Violating HIPAA: Penalties Can Be Severe

May 23, 2018 By Ken Lynch

Avoid These 9 Mistakes Small Businesses Make During Their First Year

Apr 21, 2020 By Kaelee Nelson

How to Start a Business Even with Bad Credit

May 27, 2015 By Biz2Credit.com

efile4biz banner

Footer

About Us

Small Biz Club is the premier destination for small business owners and entrepreneurs. To succeed in business, you have to constantly learn about new things, evaluate what you’re doing, and look for ways to improve—that’s what we’re here to help you do.

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2021 by Tarkenton Institute, Inc. All Rights Reserved | Terms | Privacy