SERVICES

What is Customer Service? (And why is it important?)

Customer service is the support you offer your customers — both before and after they buy your product — that helps them have an easy and enjoyable experience with you. It’s more than just providing answers; it’s an important part of the promise your brand makes to its customers. And it’s a critical to the success of your business. Why??? Because Customer service can have a big impact on your bottom line. It’s often said that it’s cheaper to keep existing customers than to find new ones. (Some even estimate that acquiring customers costs 6-7x more.) And it’s true: bad customer service is a key driver of churn. A survey says 68% of customers leave because they’re upset with the treatment they've received. Unacceptable! Prioritizing customer support helps you attract and retain quality customers. Customer support can make or break your reputation. It’s no surprise that as today’s social, mobile consumers have grown accustomed to getting what they want, when they want it, their expectations have risen accordingly. And customers are quick to share negative experiences online. Now the products and services you offer are only as good as the service you back them with — so it’s important to support customers on every channel from day one. Customer service is critical to competing effectively. In the past, people chose which companies they did business with based on price or brand, but today the overall experience is the driver. Customer support is a major driver of customer experience. When support agents are empowered to go above-and-beyond with customers, or have a helpdesk solution that makes it easy for them to upsell or cross-sell relevant services, they can create winning experiences that help you stand out from the competition. Customers are willing to pay more for a better experience. Focusing on the customer experience isn’t just the latest trend — it’s also smart business. It turns out that making every touchpoint great doesn’t just make customers love you; it can also increase your profits. Surveys have shown that 86 percent of consumers would pay more for a better customer experience. Support is an integral part of the product experience. The line between products and services is blurring, and customer service has become part of the product itself. (Think Amazon Mayday button — it’s a totally seamless way for customers to get help.) It may seem like only a big technology company thing, but even small companies are building product into their customer experiences. And many app companies are adding a way for customers to log tickets within their product experience. In-product support is the wave of the future. A quality helpdesk solution can help with these ideas and more. Characteristics of Good Customer Service Some characteristics of good customer service include: Promptness: Promises for delivery of products must be on time. Delays and cancellations of products should be avoided. Politeness: Politeness is almost a lost art. Saying 'hello,' 'good afternoon,' 'sir,' and 'thank you very much' are a part of good customer service. For any business, using good manners is appropriate whether the customer makes a purchase or not. Professionalism: All customers should be treated professionally, which means the use of competence or skill expected of the professional. Professionalism shows the customer they're cared for. Personalization: Using the customer's name is very effective in producing loyalty. Customers like the idea that whom they do business with knows them on a personal level. Keys to Excellent Customer Service Most successful businesses recognize the important of providing outstanding customer service. A courteous and empathetic interaction with a trained customer service representative can mean the difference between losing or retaining a customer. When problems arise, customers should receive timely attention to the issue. Prompt attention to emails and phone calls is critical to maintaining good relations. Many companies closely monitor the relationships they have with customers, often asking for feedback to learn whether new products should be created or adjustments made to what is currently offered. Virtually everybody in a modern economy buys products or services from companies, and so almost everybody at least occasionally acts as a customer. 
So we at ZAP are aware of the core issues while addressing clients on your behalf and treat the customers with excellent service which in turn helps the company reach the top.