By John Sonnhalter, Rainmaker Journeyman, Sonnhalter
Everybody wants answers, especially to problems, and they expect your customer service department to be on 24/7. This is especially true in the B to C market.
I recently had trouble with a wine cooler that was one month out of warranty and quit. Needless to say, I wasn’t a happy camper and I let the manufacturer know on their website over a weekend. To my surprise, I got an answer within a few hours and they are working with upper management to solve my issue. Now they may just be blowing smoke and we’ll see, but their responsiveness made me cool down a bit.
I ran across a study recently in emarketer.com “How to win at customer service,” that claimed most people just want their questions answered.
Here are some highlights:
- 81% of those surveyed just wanted their questions answered
- 89% feel more positive about brands that give good customer service
- 46% tell their friends and family about a quick response time
So what does all this mean to the manufacturing sector? Well the bar isn’t raised too high and we certainly don’t have to reinvent the wheel.
Here are some tips on how to serve the professional tradesman:
- Keep your customer service department open on business days from 7 AM to 5 PM EST. If the contractors are having issues, you need to be available when they are working.
- Staff your customer service department with experienced people who can answer questions, troubleshoot a problem or forward them onto someone who can.
A post you may want to read, Customer service: How are you handling unhappy people, may be a good read. A good customer service department can help increase future sales by giving them a positive experience
