Many companies are touting world class, first class, and/or high quality customer service today.
However, as a strategic thinking business coach, I wonder about the true state of customer service in the U.
S.
What is the real level of customer service being delivered - is it Awesome, Adequate or Abysmal? As I pondered this question I learned that there is a National Customer Service Week celebrated in the United States.
Imagine that.
And why not, we have National (you fill in the blank here) Week for most everything today.
National Customer Service Week was proclaimed by Congress in 1992 with a pronouncement declaring "if the United States is to remain a leader in the changing global economy, highest quality customer service must be a personal goal of every employee in business and industry.
" So, what is the "state of customer service" in the U.
S.
?I found a source of information to help answer that question in survey results released by Accenture, the giant consulting firm.
Some highlights from the Fall, 2006 results include: 1.
Nearly 50% of respondents to the survey switched at least one service provider over the past year because they felt they did not receive the respect they deserved.
2.
18% of retail customers took their business somewhere else due to poor customer service.
3.
15% of people with Internet accounts switched providers.
4.
14% of bank customers switched banks.
5.
12% of wire-line phone customers switched providers.
6.
11% of cell-phone customers switched providers.
It seems to me like there is a "whole lot of switching going on" due to poor customer service.
And if companies truly recognize the importance of good customer service and realize that neglecting any aspect of good customer service risks losing customers to competitors, why do we see such results as above?And why do some companies think they can get away with rude and/or uninformed or misinformed sales people or service representatives? Or worse, why do some companies believe their customer service is awesome, when in reality it is abysmal? How do you rate the customer service in your business?And more importantly, how do your customers rate your customer service?As your strategic thinking business coach, I ask you to be brutally honest when you respond to the questions.
Is your customer service awesome, adequate or abysmal in the eyes of your customers?Please remember, I ask you to be brutally honest in your responses.
I hope you will be, because if you are not and if you choose to be in denial about the true level of your customer service, your customers will provide you with a rude awakening by switching to your competitors.
If you have honestly admitted that your customer service is just adequate or abysmal in the eyes of your customers and in your own opinion, then I hope you will want to take some immediate action.