While it takes many factors to create a successful business, the quality of your customer service will always take centre stage. It’s easy to describe what good customer service entails. For some customers, it’s a warm welcome when they enter a shop, while for others, it’s a friendly service agent on the phone. Additionally, for a majority of the customers, it’s the product or service they receive. All of these factors combine to create the whole customer experience.

Regardless of the industry you’re operating in, improving your customer satisfaction level is extremely important. Perfecting your customer service is a huge part of this. Here are some benefits a business will reap from investing in their customer service.

Boosts customer loyalty

Happy customers become loyal customers. Brands that focus on forging relationships with their customers are bound to earn their loyalty. Customers are more satisfied with the experiences they’ve had when they feel cared for. They’ll recognise the efforts made by the company and its employees. Brilliant customer service will not only win customer loyalty, but end up transforming customers into advocates of the brand.

Creates word of mouth

Loyal customers are lifelong customers. Not only do they keep coming back to your business but they also spread the word about your products and customer experience to their family, friends and colleagues. In this era of social media, there are so many platforms for people to share their experiences and reviews. Loyal customers will share their enthusiasm with other people over social media and other platforms, these referrals have a greater chance of leading to new customers than any cold marketing activities you may be doing.

Increases profitability

It’s obvious that if you manage to form loyal customers and create a positive buzz in the market, your conversion rates will increase. By providing excellent customer service and spreading positive word-of-mouth referrals, your investment into your marketing activities will be far less wasteful. As a result, good customer service translates into increased revenue and profits. So it’s always worth investing in training for employees, in order to bring a greater level of stability to your company.

Creates a holistic marketing approach

A holistic marketing approach is also known as 360-degree marketing. It’s where the entire business, i.e. all the departments, work towards creating an amazing customer experience. By understanding your customers, motivating your employees and implementing effective customer service strategies, your business will enter into a holistic marketing approach. Everyone plays their part in working towards high levels of customer satisfaction. Excellent customer service is the key to achieving this and ensures the success of a company.

Provides a competitive advantage

With most markets being over saturated with businesses offering the same services or products, it’s getting harder to distinguish your business from others. However, your customer service can help you gain a competitive edge. If your employees build connections and relationships with customers, your customers are less likely to be tempted to go somewhere else. Trying to increase customer loyalty helps strengthen this competitive advantage further.

Investing in your customer service to make it more efficient and meaningful is greatly beneficial for a business in the long run. A brilliant customer service team can compensate for other deficiencies that an organisation may have. Considering the social media age we live in, one bad review can instantly give your business a bad reputation. This is all the more reason for a business to invest in their customer service.

Bonus tip: Bad reviews

Ok, here’s a quick one for you. Getting a bad review sucks right, we all know that. But, you have an opportunity to turn that bad review into your greatest asset. A bad review answered carefully, respectfully and with real meaning can be far more valuable than every positive review you have. Customers reading reviews will often go to the negative first. If you have answered each one in a sincere manner they will see that you mean well and are really looking to change and improve as a company. This will often lead to greater loyalty in your brand. So, whenever the situation arises, just remember, in the words of Patrick Swayze in the greatest film ever (Roadhouse), “be nice”.