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  Freshscaped July 24, 2014 at 11:09pm

  Does it matter? Customer service? Isn't it a bit like asking "Does the pope go to church" or "Is Richard Branson richer than me?" (I've often wondered how somebody born richer than most of us can be considered a self-made-man but that's a different topic).

  But you'd better be damned sure to define what customer service is acording to your customers and not simply read across from what those monolithic masters of obnoxious arrogance and customer disregard blather on about.

  I refer in the main, of course. to our utilities providers including our monopoly telephone service line and exchange holder (disregarding a few metropoli - the majority of us are subject to their whim and incompetence) and to that foreign, not to mention inferior, IT operating system provider our very own various civil service silos have acted as major sales agencies for at our expense for a generation. Each shouts about its commitment to customers when, in fact, it has none.

  Ours are small businesses. We cannot afford such a level of arrogance. When we mention customer service we need to mean it. Real service. For real customers. Not for "incentivised" focus groups.

  So Gary, customer service is in reality a heading for quite a range of different topics. I'm grateful to you for raising it and am open to dicsuss each, all or any. Which of the trails open to us are you hoping to travel in this discussion?
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  GORDON July 25, 2014 at 10:57am

  I think we all recognise what poor, mediocre and good personal service is and mostly equate it to the very person or persons that we are in contact to provide the actual service. For instance I could say that I receive a good service from Virgin media. That is I receive good internet speed etc. but that's it, if the "service" stopes I do not receive personal contact to apologise and explain and advise when restoration will be. So I would term Virgin as a supplier and not a service provider. I have no interest in them as they clearly have no interest in me. We accept that, it's the way it is with large conglomerates, the choice is limited, for now at least.
  
  
  All the differing aspects and definatin of service can be pontificated about as much as you like but here I believe we are mostly very small to medium sized businesses whereby the man or woman owner will contact a customer directly in all instances and generally not be assigned or if you like be entrusted to anyone else that does not have a personal interest in the outcome of the said contact
  That's the all important, always being judged aspect of service. Say the wrong thing or even the right thing in the wrong way and it's an instant black mark.
  
  The article Gary referred to in my opinion for our industry is exactly right and I am living proof the moral works. I pamper and flatter until the cows come home. It's being aware that you are a sales person every time that you open your mouth. Is that service?, perhaps not, the boundaries are blurred, would a customer feel or describe it as a service, I think so !!
  Moral ? - basically you can differentiate yourself and charge more by doing a good job and looking after & pampering your customers.
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  James Brett July 25, 2014 at 12:40pm

  Perhaps this is the reason that I get so much referral work. I did various NVQ L2/3 in customer service and hospitality. Which all came from working in McDonalds and another small independent food business.
  
  Without a customer your business is nothing, without a customer you won't be earning. If a customer isn't happy sometimes doing an extra job or even just smiling and being friendly can make all the difference. At the end of the day without your customers who can you sell your services to?
  
  A smile could be the difference between you getting an extra client/job/contract!!
  Happy staff are more productive..... You all know where this is going! Yet I see so many grumpy/miserable gardeners!!
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  Rebecca Walley July 25, 2014 at 2:14pm

  Customer service really extends to most areas of your business, not just the way you communicate with your clients. I tend to think of it more as 'customer experience' since it's usually impossible for a customer to pick one aspect of a transaction that is the most important to them. For instance, it's no use the sales rep being knowledgeable, helpful and friendly if the product they are selling is not fit for purpose. Likewise, product and service could be great but the customer experience will be poor if the delivery takes 10 days and then arrives at midnight (extreme I know but I'm just making a point!).

  I think that some people would still buy a product which was good quality and the right price even if they received poor treatment, but it depends entirely on the person and product. I've had some horrendous experiences with a certain online retailer but wanted to buy a fan the other night (this heat!) and they were one of the only places who had stock and they were offering the best price so I just went for it, well aware that their customer service is appalling. In that instance, price and availability were the most important factors for me.

  Basically I think it all depends where you position yourself in the market. Some online stores are simply the cheapest and that's what gets them by, people aren't necessarily expecting an amazing customer experience. I think we, like most small/medium companies, recognise that we aren't offering the cheapest products but that we strive to offer the best value. Whatever the industry, there's usually the cheap and cheerful 'no frills' option but most clients, in our experience, are willing to pay just that little bit extra to ensure excellent quality, good customer relations, product knowledge etc.

  Does everybody else find that this is the case? Or do you find that a fair proportion of your prospective clients are looking at cost as their top priority?
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  Paul McNulty July 25, 2014 at 9:12pm

  I think we'll find a real backlash against the "price-is-all" internet comparison cons. Already, there are calls for tighter regulation of the insurance comparison sites, as they encourage price to be the first thing you see, so insurers are changing the policies to fit the price at the expense of proper cover.

  The same will happen with review sites. Something like 50% of internet reviews are fake, or malicious, and that's got to come to people's notice at some point! Let alone the sites that appear to be "rating" a trader, or implying you can "trust" them, when they are really just a glorified yellow-pages.

  As a maintenance provider, I need to instill trust first, possibly even ahead of skills. I'm around the client's property every week, have the gate codes and often keys. My customers might well spend £000s on their security systems, and have their cars fitted with trackers. I use that as part of the sales pitch: I'm not here for the season then going back abroad, I'm not a cash-in-hand cowboy, I am CRB-checked and licensed where needed, but I do cost a small amount more.

  The other thing I add in is flexibility. Often I've gone in on a Saturday morning to give the lawn a quick once-over, as a client has an important function that day. An hour of my time, but a very happy client, with a garden full of prospective customers.
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  Gary RK July 26, 2014 at 7:01pm

  One approach to "Customer Service" and making them feel at ease. I like it :-)