The death of customer service

By: Nlighten Team

The customer is back, more vocal than ever, particularly in these tough times, businesses have to focus on their customers. So says Nathalie Schooling, founder of N'lighten, the customer experience and service improvement company. Schooling attended the European Customer Experience World Conference in London in May and returned to present her findings to managers in the local customer service industry.

Yet customer service is officially history, according to Nathalie's feedback. Speakers at the Conference, who included VPs, CEOs and directors from Land Rover, Marks & Spencer, Coca Cola, Virgin Media, Barclays, the Hilton Hotel Group and Microsoft, said that it is now the customer experience that is crucial to attract and retain customers and maximise profitability.

According to Schooling, the rules of engaging with customers have changed dramatically, with customers now using the internet and sms facilities to give immediate input on their consumer experiences. In an experience economy, she explains, your products are merely props to engage with your customer. It is their experience of your service and your people, from receptionist to CEO, which will ensure that you will maintain and grow your business. If your staff clearly understand your brand and brand values, if you have given them definite guidelines about how your customers should be treated at each touch point, they will deliver a seamless customer experience. "Your brand sells the promise and your people keep the promise. 'People buy people' before products and services," says Schooling.

She reports that customer feedback is no longer a nice-to-have, and that an organisation needs to develop "a ferocious appetite for feedback." And it is crucial, with negative feedback, to fix the problem fast via the telephone, internet or telephone text message. Honesty, transparency and integrity will help you retain a customer's loyalty.

Schooling says meaningful customer experience only works when every component works, and to this end she is offering a one-day leadership seminar in service advantage. Her company, N'lighten, has an impressive track record which makes this seminar a must-do for managers and business owners. This seminar runs just three times a year and the next one is only in September, so book now for a jump-start on business excellence.

The cost is R1 645 (excl VAT) and the seminar takes place at the Old Mutual Business School in Pinelands, Cape Town. Date: 16 September 2009 from 08h00 - 16h00.

For more information and bookings, please contact Michelle Bekker on office number (021) 762 2844 or e-mail michelle@nlighten.co.za