What Does Customer Service Mean to YOUR Customers?

By James A. Baker 
Founder
Baker Communications

Everyone has a general understanding of what customer service means, and has some conception of what constitutes “good” customer service. Generally speaking, customer service is all about putting your customers first and making their satisfaction a priority. Most employers have some understanding of how this is done, whether or not they effectively put that knowledge into practice.

However, a factor that is rarely considered in sweeping statements about what makes for good customer service is the identity and needs of the specific customers being served by an individual business. The fact is that different customers want different things from the companies they do business with. Your task, then, is to become aware of who your customers are, and what it is that they want.

What Do You Sell?
Consider what products or services your company provides, and what type of customers have an interest in what you offer. A company that deals in gear for mountain climbing will probably have a very different set of customers than one dealing in mobility assistance technology. Differing customer bases are not going to have identical needs and expectations. 

Even within the same industry, customer needs may vary, and the approach of businesses within the industry should take this into consideration. A bakery specializing in wedding cakes may need to focus on listening skills, artistry, and attention to detail in order to satisfy the demands of its specific clientele. A bakery primarily catering large orders of cookies to community events, on the other hand, might need to focus more on their product’s consistency and on establishing effective delivery procedures.

Location, Location, Location
Where do you do business? This can be a major factor in determining the makeup of your customer base. A company with exclusively online retail, for example, would need to focus on responsiveness and fast shipping in order to satisfy customers, rather than on providing parking and an attractive, welcoming facility. However, a brick-and-mortar business might well suffer if they took the same approach.

Your physical location can impact your customer base if they are primarily local. What sort of neighborhood are you in - a bustling downtown area or an outlying industrial park? Are you in a large or small town? Some companies have found that speed and customer satisfaction are more heavily correlated in large cities and in the northern United States than in small communities or in southern states, where personal connections and friendly service are important factors.

Study Your Demographics
What kind of people are your existing patrons? Gain as much information as you can about them - their ages, their professions, their income levels. If you are a B2B provider, do you sell to large or small companies? What industries are they in? You can serve your customers much more effectively if you have accurate and complete information about them.
What do your existing customers buy? Study the relationships between the customers’ demographic profile and the products and services that they choose. Not only will this help you understand how to better serve your exiting customer base, it is invaluable information for marketing purposes.

Only you can determine the best way to provide exceptional customer service to your own specific customer base. Remember that different customers want different things from you, so find out who your customers are, and what it is that they want - and then give it to them! Make the effort to get to know your customers and their unique and specific needs. Your customers will be more satisfied, and your business will thrive.

Communications offers leading edge Customer Service Training solutions that will help you address the goals and achieve the solutions addressed in this article. For more information about how your organization can achieve immediate and lasting behavior change that will increase customer loyalty and boost customer retention, click here.

Re-Print Permission
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