Customer Service Information

The death of customer servie


The other day a reporter call to interview me on the "Death of Customer Service". My first reaction was to deny that charge and claim that customer service is very much alive and well. But upon further thought of the service I've received over the past few months and what others have related to me about their experiences, I had to admit that the quality and level of service has decreased. Upon further thought I realized that it has been on a decline for quite a while.

I finally admitted to the reporter that yes, I have to agree that customer service is not doing as well as I'd like to think it is. Of course his next question was, "Why is that?"

I believe there are 4 basic reasons for the demise of customer service.

  • The booming economy of the 90's created an atmosphere where management took the stance that if one customer didn't like what they were doing, there were plenty lined up behind him/her that had their credit card ready to be processed. Why go the extra mile for someone who was so easily replaceable? This attitude is still pervasive which adds up to poor customer service.

  • Poor hiring practices are what I believe to be another reason why customer service is so poor. Unemployment ahs been so low that finding new employees has been a major challenge for companies. They hired marginal people, people with poor attitudes, people with poor work ethics, and people who don't care. Put these employees in a position where they interact with customers and you have a formula for poor customer service.

  • Lack of training of these marginal employees is another problem. Managers have the philosophy that since the employee won't last that long in the position, why put the time, money and effort into training them. Of course the lack of training leads to low morale, confusion on the part of the employee and costly mistakes. The employee doesn't last in the position because they don't feel supported by management, then management feels justified for the lack of training they give. This all adds up to poor customer service.

  • Profit driven decisions of management as the criteria for solving all problems is another reason for the death of customer service. Rather than do the 'right' thing, decisions are weighted by what it will cost the company. Scheduling is planned by what it costs in dollars rather than what it costs in poor service. Customer complaints are judged by the impact on the bottom line rather than on the impact on customer satisfaction. This short-term thinking gives out the clear message to employees that the company's needs are more important than the customer's. This justifies the attitude of employees of not caring about the customer which again adds up to the delivery of poor customer service.

  • Margo Chevers, author of the book STOP the BS (bad service), has been providing sales and customer service seminars and consulting to a diverse cross-section of industries for the past 15 years. For information about Margo Chevers' speaking or training schedule call (800) 858-0797 or Margo@MargoChevers.com

      


    MORE RESOURCES:

    Comcast and the Most Amazing Customer Service Breakthrough Ever
    North Star Writers Group, MI - 15 hours ago
    If you’ve seen the new Comcast commercials, they’re promoting an astounding new customer service feature. It’s riveting! If, when you see it, ...


    Epic Data Announces Signing of Customer Service Renewal Contracts
    MSNBC - Jan 8, 2009
    Epic Data's dedicated customer service team has been providing exceptional care, service and support to its global customer base for more than 30 years. ...


    Parature Picked by Webs.com for Customer Service
    TMC Net, CT - Jan 8, 2009
    By David Sims CRM vendor Parature (News - Alert) says that Webs.com has selected Parature Customer Service software to manage their customer service and ...


    Good service key in bad economy
    Plainfield Sun, IL - 16 hours ago
    This means that, more than ever, it is vitally important for managers to actually, you know, train their employees on what good customer service looks like. ...


    Complete list of transit system service and fare changes
    KVBC, NV - 1 hour ago
    For details on the specific impacts, visit rtcsnv.com or call RTC Customer Service at 228-RIDE (7433). Collateral material detailing the impacts will also ...


    Large Multinational Telecom Company Selects IdentiPHI SAFsolution ...
    SYS-CON Media, NJ - Jan 8, 2009
    The telecom customer purchased licenses of SAFsolution 5 in order to support 2500 customer service representatives in the region. IdentiPHI is working with ...


    The "New" AT&T Sucks The Same
    The Consumerist, NY - 4 hours ago
    Even after the cancellation, the billing problems and nightmarish calls to "AT&T's award winning customer service" department will have to continue just to ...


    NewsReleaseWire.com (press release)

    : Sales Up 400% for HVAC Customer Service Handbooks
    NewsReleaseWire.com (press release) - 12 hours ago
    Coscia Communications Inc. reported that 2008 sales of its HVAC Customer Service Handbook were up 400% over previous year’s figures. ...


    InQuira Says IGT Picks InQuira for Customer Service
    TMC Net, CT - Jan 8, 2009
    IGT will use InQuira’s (News - Alert) Knowledge Management software platform and customer service application to try to get “faster, more effective support ...


    Customer Service Manager
    ITnews.sk, Slovakia - 10 hours ago
    To maintain Customer information current in the relevant databases and repositories. • To lead regular Customer service review meetings, at least monthly ...
    In Challenging Times, Service Matters Most! Exchange Morning Post
    all 3 news articles

    customer service - Google News

    Article List | Index | Site Map
    All logos, trademarks and articles on this site are property and copyright of their respective owner(s).
    The comments are property of their posters, all the rest is Copyright © 2006 CanadaSEEK.com - All Rights Reserved.