Celebrate Labor Day by Investing in Customer Service

August 25th, 2008 at 11:46am Rebecca Kopf

Labor Day was originated in 1882 as the Central Labor Union (of New York City) sought to create a day off for the working person. As we celebrate those who labor in our country, it’s important to note one critical portion of any job is customer interaction - otherwise known as customer service. While previously categorized perhaps as a helpful receptionist, customer service is now a role of everyone in an organization.

How your customers are treated via phone or in person can make the difference between a purchase and a bad experience that is shared with others, resulting in lost sales. There are just too many choices for products and services, and with the advent of the Internet, now we can purchase almost anything online and bypass human beings overall. Many businesses spend so much time developing a product, and so much money in marketing and sales, they often overlook one of the easiest attributes to earn a customer’s business: customer service.

So how good is your customer service and how can you improve it? Invest some time and effort into a “secret shopper.” Contact people that you might know from networking and provide them with a checklist of what they should look for when purchasing from your organization. Some of these items might include whether the phone was answered in a timely manner and if questions were handled in a professional, courteous and/or friendly manner. Were returns or problems solved to the “customer’s” satisfaction? Was the shopping environment clean and inviting?

As we wind down another summer and celebrate Labor Day, take the time to invest in your customer service so that your customers continue to invest in you, and your products and services.

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