Running A Business

The Overlooked Power of Customer Service

May 17, 2013 • 3 min read
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      Nothing is better when you have a problem with a product or service a company provides and they not only take care of your issue, they exceed your expectations. Customer service is very important to any business because it’s such a great way to create loyal customers. These customers aren’t typical customers either. They will promote your business by word-of-mouth, keep coming back even if a competitor has the same product/service for cheaper, and will help build a positive brand for your company.

      Recently I ordered 50 business cards from moo.com, an online business card company. I had a networking night coming up at the University of Utah and they got my cards to me quick without having to pay anything extra, which made me very happy. I was even more excited after I received the package with a simple sticker saying, “Yay!” Who knew getting new business cards could be so exciting?

      Lendio-Blog-Moo-Card

      How my business cards were supposed to look

      I tore open the package like an eight-year-old boy on his birthday. The cards looked awesome! After further examination I noticed that half of the cards were blank on the front side of the card where my personal logo was (the picture on the left). This was unacceptable.

      I shot their customer service an e-mail simply stating the problem:

      I received my order of cards but half of them didn’t have both sides printed on them. I would appreciate a new batch of cards sent out with the same print to make up for them. If you need pictures or something to verify, I can do that.
      -Mike

      Later that day I got the comforting response to my problem:

      Dear Mike,
       
      Thank you for getting in touch with the MOO Team.
       
      I am so sorry that your order did not print as expected. Unfortunately this happened because both the image and text files were uploaded in step number one while the details side was left blank.
       
      Not to worry! I have now reprocessed your order, free of charge, and corrected the error for you.
       
      In the future be sure to flip the card over and ensure the contact information is visible on the details side of the card.
       
      You will shortly receive an email from Little MOO with your new dispatch information! I hope this helps!
       
      Please feel free to contact us again if you have any further questions.
       
      Best regards,
       
      Angela G
      MOO

      I have dealt with many product problems in my life. Not all company representatives are as great as Angela was to me. She could’ve said I didn’t complete the order as explained online and I had to buy another set of cards. Instead she took care of my problem. She not only validated moo.com’s all around great brand experience but also made me a loyal customer.

      Customer service is really an organic form of marketing.  It will make or break any business. It’s important to remember that it’s not about the one time sale but the lifetime customer, who keeps coming back and recommends you to all their friends and family.

      In one of my marketing classes a professor explained to us, “A customer coming to you with a problem with your product or service is really giving you the opportunity to turn them into a loyal customer.” When you take care of a customer, even if you take a loss, it lets them know you care more about their happiness with your product not just the sale. After you take care of them appropriately they’ll walk away feeling good about your product, your company, and themselves, making them more valuable to your company.

      What is something that your company does to let your customer know you care?

      About the author
      Lendio Editorial Team

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