So I had read a post over at MyInvestingBlog that talked about horrible service with Comcast. When I first read the post, I can relate to it because I have Comcast myself and I’m not too satisfied with the new DVR box myself, its slow and its lagging but then again thats what customer service is for. You call them, you get a “new” dvr cable box which is actually turns out to be someones old dvr cable box and the issue never gets resolved. Either way, I just felt that today I’m going to talk about customer service and how important it is for the success of a business.

If that example wasn’t enough lets take AT&T which is a cell phone service provider here in the US. My service with AT&T is like a constant battle from repeated phone calls in trying to get them to stop charging me for things I have never even used. AT&T seems to get by on the idea that they’ll rip you off on your phone service charges and when you compare prices to other service providers they simply tell you to “go somewhere else”. Either way, I have AT&T and I think its pretty terrible that they steal from you and call it a “monthly bill”. Anyway, its a bit ridiculous and if you haven’t figured it out already, thats not how it works!

The idea of Customer Service has been around for a long time and then you wonder why I have a picture of Market Leverage’s Team at the top of this post. Well its simple, their idea of customer service is beyond anyone else. As soon as I was signed up, I was sent a great care package by then and after I won the Balkhis contest, I was sent even more great stuff. Its not only the idea of them sending stuff to me. Its about the interaction that I’ve had with different members of their team such as Debby Phillips, Dina Riccobono and Mike Kelly. Granted that I haven’t talked to everyone but I guess after talking to a few people I dont think that the others would be any different. They’ve been great and maybe thats part of why they are the hottest affiliate marketing networks out there. They are the reason why I’m getting started in affiliate marketing and I’ll be documenting my experience on the blog as time goes on.

Now lets get on with why customer service really matters, whether you have a product or service to offer or whether its a blog that offers neither products or services but information and knowledge instead. So lets take a look:

1) Word Of Mouth Travels Fast – In Customer Service, its true that all it takes is one good experience and one bad experience for the word to go around. Moreover, if you are unhappy about something you are more likely to talk about it. Its good to be nice to your customers and clients because they are the ones who are responsible for maintaining your reputation. A bad review takes a long time to go off your record. Its like an eBay rating almost in one sense as one negative review on a page of 20 positive ones can be the reason why a potential buyer is turned away.

2) It Shows That You Care – Theres so many times when I speak to a customer representative and I feel as though they really know what my trouble is. Even the smallest gesture can make an unhappy customer a happy one. Its what makes the difference between a company that is renounced for its customer service and one that isn’t. Its all about how you handle the situation in terms of customer service. Treat the situation as if it was you who was the unhappy customer and that way you’ll be able to make them feel as if their issues, problems and concerns are being understood and resolved.

3) It Means, Sustainable Business – Although most people don’t usually see the long term idea of customer service, it really does exist. The better your customer service, the more hooked your current customers are. The more hooked they are, the more likely they are to tell other people about it. Its a never-ending chain. If you are able to maintain good customer service then the trend of repeat customers or newly referred customer will never stop. Its the long term aspect of maintaining good customer service.

So I hope you see how customer service can make a long term difference. On my blog, I maintain customer service (in a sense) but answering emails, chatting with fellow readers and replying to comments. I hope you enjoyed my post and I’d like to hear from some of you about your good and bad customer service incidents and experiences! Happy Friday!