When Times are Tough, Service Matters Most…More Than Ever…

There seems to be a constant stream of bad news at the moment. In the course of a few short months, we lost our respected and much-loved Queen, we’ve had two new PMs, the Pound took a beating, and the economy took a dive. Inflation is soaring, and the cost of living crisis is very real for the majority of our nation. 

With all this going on, it’s very easy to think it’s all bad news and to just give into the ‘woe is me’ approach.  

Yes, success in these challenging times is never easy. As always, it demands commitment and hard work. However, there are things a businessperson can do to overcome these pressures, starting with an obsession with customer service.

It’s natural and logical, during difficult economic times, for businesses to look at cutting costs. And there probably is some fat that can be trimmed from overheads, but there is one particular area where it could be fatal to cut corners – customer service. 

Right now, excellent customer service can be your secret weapon in the economic wars! 

Why your customer deserves your attention  

  • People are very conscious of how they are spending their money at the moment. Every penny counts, and they want the most for it. They want more attention, more appreciation and more recognition for our purchases, not less. 
  • Customers are looking for maximum value for money. It’s no longer enough simply to buy the product, they also want additional benefits around that like training, accessories or after-sales support. They want more service. 
  • Customers want to be reassured they are making the right purchase. Having a solid guarantee in place will go a long way towards providing this comfort by removing the fear of making a bad purchase at a time they can least afford it. 
  • In tough times, some of the indulgent pleasures in life like travelling or eating out fall by the wayside as customers focus their buying power more on the essentials, where competition for your products and services may be higher. Giving good customer service removes the grudge factor when choosing school uniforms over school holidays, and it boosts your own business’s image. 
  • Customers are taking longer to make buying decisions, which means they spend longer interacting with your company asking questions, researching, comparing and evaluating. If your customer service makes this protracted buying journey a seamless and positive experience, you are much more likely to close the deal.  

86% of customers rely on word-of-mouth recommendations and online reviews. This may even be higher now, with people seeking value and reliability. So, knowing people are talking to each other, be sure the words spoken about your business are good ones. 

Eight proven ways to up your customer service

It’s clear offering great service in tough times makes good business sense. But it’s not always clear how to achieve it. So, here are eight proven principles you can use:  

  • Stay in touch with how your customers’ expectations adapt and change over time. Conduct regular customer surveys and ask for feedback often to really understand what they want, what they value and how they rate your business. Fix what is broken and amplify what is working. 
  • Keep your products and systems reliable and up to date but make a real difference by providing a quality service that is personalised and shows you are prepared to go the extra mile to make magic happen for your customers.
  • Set and achieve high service standards. Have a look at what the standards are out there in your industry, then push yours a little further by being faster, better, and more flexible. Go beyond the expected and surprise your customers.
  • Learn to manage your customer’s expectations. Don’t promise something you know you can’t deliver. In fact, it often pays to underpromise and overdeliver. If you know that rush job will only take you an hour, tell the client you need 90 minutes but then deliver within the hour (as you knew you would all along). Employing this tactic means you build a reputation of excellence while delighting your customers with super-efficient service.
  • Even in a perfect world, things can go wrong. When it comes to superior customer service, make sure you fix the problem as soon as possible without wasting time laying blame or moaning about the costs of repair. Fix it, empathise with the customer for any inconvenience or frustration and make it something positive to remember by adding a little extra if you can – a discount on future orders, an upgrade, or a small token of appreciation. Learn from the mistake and minimise the chances of it happening again.
  • Listen to your complaining customers. They offer you insights into your business you may not otherwise notice. They point out where your system is faulty and where procedures are weak or problematic. They show you where your products are below expectations or your service doesn’t measure up. They point out areas where your competitors are getting ahead or where your team is falling behind. The complaining customers open up the opportunity to make improvements in your business, so listen to them carefully.
  • Take personal responsibility for making good things happen in your business. Don’t play the blame game or curse the slow technology. View tomorrow as another chance to do better, and actively seek out ways to drive constructive change in the organisation. Become involved in finding the solution rather than compounding the problem.
  • Do field research. Masquarade as a mystery shopper at your own place of business or spend a day shopping around your competitors. Call your own service desk with a query. Being your customer for a day may change your perspective for the better. 

There is no doubt there are better days ahead. With each bit of improvement every business implements, the economy can only strengthen. Why not start by looking after your customers with passion and commitment? 

After all, as Shep Hyken, Chief Amazement Officer of Shepard Presentations said, “I believe customer service doesn’t cost — it pays. Just like advertising earns money by bringing people in, customer service pays by bringing people back.”

Martin Baillie is a Business Coach and Growth Specialist at ActionCOACH Bury St Edmunds, committed to working with business owners to create sustainable, viable, profitable entities within the local community.

We find that most business owners are experts in their industry but not in business. Our ActionCOACH business re-education coaching programmes help business owners to understand all aspects of business so they can build a profitable, sustainable business that works without them.

Contact Martin Baillie, ActionCOACH Bury St Edmunds now on Tel: 01284 334099. You can also follow him on LinkedIn , Instagram and Facebook