Is “The Customer Is Always Right” Is A Fading Trend

The phrase “the customer is always right” was a term coined by Harry Selfridge in 1909 as a way to give customers confidence in the quality of service provided by his department store in London. Little did he know that the term would eventually backfire in multiple different ways, as customers used this term to their advantage. Here are a few reasons why “the customer is always right” is just plain wrong!

Many modern businesses such as phone answering service companies try to stay on good terms with their customers in friendly and imaginative ways. These may include money back guarantees, customer satisfaction policies and returning customer loyalty points or services. However, many people see these services as a way of getting a free meal ticket.

Persnickety Customers

Whilst the majority of people treat businesses fairly, a small percentage of people take advantage of these customer service loopholes. Continuously taking products back to the store for a refund and a replacement has seen many businesses remove their guarantees due to losses, making the customer not always right at the end of the day.

When customers get angry, they can be disruptive, annoying and sometimes violent towards members of staff. For businesses who deal with customers and clients in large numbers on a daily basis, these incidents can soon add up.

Don’t Ignore Your Customer’s Issues

Many businesses in the communication sector such as phone answering service companies always seem to face a barrage of calls to complain about certain products. Whilst many companies have gone to great lengths to stop these incidents from happening, such as hiring people with calming voices, or refusing to take the calls altogether, these calls can soon add up.

When customers play by the rules, it can be an easy process to handle each and every customer’s wishes. In many cases, customer service agents are happy to take problematic calls as it lets them know if their services or products have a fault so they can get it fixed.

Deal With Competing Customer Service Departments

In many cases though, phone answering services may have competing departments that do not talk to each other very economically. This is where a customer service loop happens where people get irate at the thought of spending hours on the telephone to resolve their problems.

When you take into account the numbers of unhappy customers that you may receive, this tiny percentage of unhappy customers can never be pleased, no matter what, this is when you find out that some customers are just bad for business.

Trust your Staff, Listen to Your Customers

When a company overlooks its own staff to make the customers happy, the employees feel neglected and mistrusted to deal with certain issues. When a business’s employees start to resent their own company, the business is in big trouble.

So the customer is not always necessarily right, but they can be, just sometimes. If you have a business large or small, it is always best to treat employees and customers fairly. Employees will know when a customer has been mistreated or unfairly dealt with, but having faith in your staff will ensure that they never feel overlooked to bring harmony into the workforce.

How Virtual Office Communication Can Help Boost Your Business

In the modern age, a business that takes advantage of new technologies to data-gather, influence and markets their services will always be ahead of the curve. This is why taking advantage of virtual office systems can truly boost your client portfolio, increase your influence within the business community and allow you to expand your company into a truly international organisation.

Some of the biggest and best-known companies all apply virtual office communication service to communicate with clients and service providers, manufacturers and even customers in this novel way. The internet has influenced many different sectors of the technology industry, but you don’t necessarily have to be part of a technology-based company to reap the rewards.

 

Small Business and Rural Industries can Benefit

Many smaller companies rely on client meetings and customer communication to gather information, stock replenishment needs and other services using virtual office technology in the workplace. Further still, if you are a company that works or has offices or land in a rural area, communicating over long distances is a key factor in growing your business.

Not only do virtual office services help you with communication nationwide and overseas, you may be able to set up multiple interfaces around the globe to host an international face-to-face meeting with all the players in your industry. Give a truly spectacular presentation thanks to the many uses of office programs that are designed to allow you to get your point across to everyone watching.

 

High Definition Video and Crystal Clear Audio

With the latest versions of virtual office talk software, you are able to communicate your ideas better, in crisp HD video quality and clear audio for all in the office to see and hear. The digital age has brought with it the great ability to be able to do business around the globe - and as the world gets smaller, inter-business communication will be a key factor in determining your future influence within your sector.

If your company is in the design, marketing or visual arts sector, then virtual office software is a no-brainer when it comes to communicating your ideas. Work with the people most influential in your industry and allow your colleagues to share ideas, create documents together and save all of the pertinent information whenever you need. 

 

Tailor-make Business to Client Communication

Virtual office communication allows any business to get a foothold in the online world by offering a service that is tailor made to your clients. Do you want to treat your clients extra especially? Then why not offer a virtual consultation, distance brainstorming or interview without having to leave the office!

Taking notes has never been easier, with the ability to record your interviews, office meetings or presentations; you can finely tune your sales techniques and interview questions to finely hone your own personal skills in business. Never let a good thing go unused, so take advantage of the latest trend in the office world with virtual office communication, and find out for yourself how quickly your clients will be returning their business to you.

Why Live Telephone Answering Service is Important for Businesses?

Let’s just start by saying that there is almost no business who could do without Customer Service, and let’s face it – an automated answering machine or voice mail is NOT the ideal Customer Service! You should aware of the disadvantages of using an automated answering service. Do you really think, your business is an industry that never needed Customer Care and never will? Think plumbers, painters, carpenters, electricians or a grocery store does not need customer care? Well, think again! Here’s what Customer Service, something you always thought was the luxury of the big companies, can do for your business:

Minimize Your Cost

Customer Service helps you lower the costs! Its basic marketing knowledge today that retaining a customer costs much cheaper than acquiring new ones and a little statistic makes it easier to believe. A good customer service means your clients will keep coming back and they will be bringing friends with them. This reduces your cost of advertising and other marketing activities to acquire customers.

Charge Premium

You know what happens when your customers are fully satisfied? Your dedicated customer service, allows you to charge a premium! Being available 24/7 with information and help is a very good excuse to charge the premium that you need to charge since you don’t have the economies of scale like the big companies.

 

Free Referral Marketing

Customer Service gets you more revenue! When your loyal customers refer you to friends, its basically your Customer Service that is getting you that added revenue. Referral marketing in fact is the best form of marketing for SME service industry.

Be a Professional & Caring Service Provider

Apart from all this, just imagine that you have a 24/7 Live Answering Service system and your competitor doesn’t. Who do you think the customer will call back when they can’t get through? Just the presence of a person at the other end of the phone makes a customer feel that the business is a professional and caring business who is in a different league compared to the other SME service providers.

24/7 Live Telephone Answering Services, like Call Service, are not just outsourced operators or receptionist – We are your most economical Customer Service Centres! We man the station 24/7 and carry detailed information of your goods and services. We also carry specific information about occasional promotional offers or updates about your availability and locations. We will not only take messages, they will give out information on your behalf.

Compare hiring the services as opposed to hiring a 24/7 operator at your office or compare it with you yourself trying to answer the phone 24/7 and you will see why Call Service is the most economical form of Customer Service and probably most intelligent marketing investment for your business.