Comments on: Committing to the Customer… Forever http://whatspinksthinks.com/2009/12/15/committing-customer-forever/ Thu, 02 Feb 2012 22:49:07 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: David Spinks http://whatspinksthinks.com/2009/12/15/committing-customer-forever/#comment-1032 David Spinks Thu, 17 Dec 2009 21:20:51 +0000 http://davidspinks.com/?p=1608#comment-1032 The point was a lot more than good customer service is bad than customer service. The point was that customer service shouldn't be limited to the time of the sale. It should be a long-term commitment. Not everything is going to be measurable in terms of the bottom line. So no, you can't always tell how much customer service drives sales. You can track things like sentiment, and you can compare sales after implementing better customer service to before you implemented it. I bet you that a customer will return to a company to buy a product more often if they know that the company is there to help them. Might it cost a little more? Sure...but so does most other forms of marketing/advertising. The point was a lot more than good customer service is bad than customer service. The point was that customer service shouldn’t be limited to the time of the sale. It should be a long-term commitment.

Not everything is going to be measurable in terms of the bottom line. So no, you can’t always tell how much customer service drives sales. You can track things like sentiment, and you can compare sales after implementing better customer service to before you implemented it. I bet you that a customer will return to a company to buy a product more often if they know that the company is there to help them. Might it cost a little more? Sure…but so does most other forms of marketing/advertising.

]]> By: Jon Klar http://whatspinksthinks.com/2009/12/15/committing-customer-forever/#comment-1031 Jon Klar Wed, 16 Dec 2009 20:05:54 +0000 http://davidspinks.com/?p=1608#comment-1031 Well if the point is that good customer service is better than bad customer service, isn't that obvious? That's like saying having a higher quality product is better than a lower quality product, the problem is how it affects your price point. If you want to hire people to be able to field customers, you will obviously need to spend money on it. Do you adjust for this in the products price or by cutting other expenses? If the former, at what point would it stop being profitable? You can only charge so much before nobody cares how good your customer service is. If the latter then what do you cut? How do you gauge how much your customer service is adding to your bottom line? Well if the point is that good customer service is better than bad customer service, isn’t that obvious? That’s like saying having a higher quality product is better than a lower quality product, the problem is how it affects your price point.

If you want to hire people to be able to field customers, you will obviously need to spend money on it. Do you adjust for this in the products price or by cutting other expenses?

If the former, at what point would it stop being profitable? You can only charge so much before nobody cares how good your customer service is.
If the latter then what do you cut? How do you gauge how much your customer service is adding to your bottom line?

]]> By: David Spinks http://whatspinksthinks.com/2009/12/15/committing-customer-forever/#comment-1030 David Spinks Wed, 16 Dec 2009 18:05:29 +0000 http://davidspinks.com/?p=1608#comment-1030 True that...there's a whole lot of "phases" in the buying cycle. Your company should be there and helpful for all of it. Appreciate your thoughts. True that…there’s a whole lot of “phases” in the buying cycle. Your company should be there and helpful for all of it.

Appreciate your thoughts.

]]> By: Kelli Poliska http://whatspinksthinks.com/2009/12/15/committing-customer-forever/#comment-1029 Kelli Poliska Wed, 16 Dec 2009 15:40:22 +0000 http://davidspinks.com/?p=1608#comment-1029 Thanks for the post David- great info. I think more businesses are starting to realize the importance of engaging the customer throughout the entire buying and ownership cycle. Sometimes I wonder if enough companies understand that the amount of time spent purchasing the product or service is a small percentage compared to the rest of the process. If you only jump on board when the customer is ready to buy, you’ll be forgotten. I think it comes down to knowing your customers and what they value. Again, great post. Thanks for sharing! Thanks for the post David- great info. I think more businesses are starting to realize the importance of engaging the customer throughout the entire buying and ownership cycle. Sometimes I wonder if enough companies understand that the amount of time spent purchasing the product or service is a small percentage compared to the rest of the process. If you only jump on board when the customer is ready to buy, you’ll be forgotten. I think it comes down to knowing your customers and what they value. Again, great post. Thanks for sharing!

]]> By: David Spinks http://whatspinksthinks.com/2009/12/15/committing-customer-forever/#comment-1028 David Spinks Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:01:34 +0000 http://davidspinks.com/?p=1608#comment-1028 Exactly. The happier you can make your current customers, the more they'll repay you. I've heard people discuss the concept of dropping all promotional efforts, and just putting all their focus in product development and customer service. While I don't think it's realistic, it's a great concept to keep in mind. Exactly. The happier you can make your current customers, the more they’ll repay you. I’ve heard people discuss the concept of dropping all promotional efforts, and just putting all their focus in product development and customer service. While I don’t think it’s realistic, it’s a great concept to keep in mind.

]]> By: David Spinks http://whatspinksthinks.com/2009/12/15/committing-customer-forever/#comment-1027 David Spinks Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:00:05 +0000 http://davidspinks.com/?p=1608#comment-1027 Well, that deals more with opt-in type promotions. I'm sure there are plenty of customers that never want to hear from the company again after buying the product...and that should be their choice. I'm just saying that they should have the option to come back and still be treated with great service if they want. Well, that deals more with opt-in type promotions. I’m sure there are plenty of customers that never want to hear from the company again after buying the product…and that should be their choice. I’m just saying that they should have the option to come back and still be treated with great service if they want.

]]> By: David Spinks http://whatspinksthinks.com/2009/12/15/committing-customer-forever/#comment-1026 David Spinks Tue, 15 Dec 2009 23:58:42 +0000 http://davidspinks.com/?p=1608#comment-1026 It's a simple and quick point, but one that I hope businesses take to heart (= Thanks for sharing your thoughts. It’s a simple and quick point, but one that I hope businesses take to heart (= Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

]]> By: Lauren Fisher http://whatspinksthinks.com/2009/12/15/committing-customer-forever/#comment-1025 Lauren Fisher Tue, 15 Dec 2009 23:54:02 +0000 http://davidspinks.com/?p=1608#comment-1025 This rings even more true when you think about the transparency of online. Make a customer happy and they might send a tweet recommending you. Make them really happy, go out of your way to satisfy them and they could spread the word about you even wider to their community. Now, more than ever, it's important what people think about you, as they're probably not going to keep their opinions to themselves, good or bad. This rings even more true when you think about the transparency of online. Make a customer happy and they might send a tweet recommending you. Make them really happy, go out of your way to satisfy them and they could spread the word about you even wider to their community.
Now, more than ever, it’s important what people think about you, as they’re probably not going to keep their opinions to themselves, good or bad.

]]> By: Jon Klar http://whatspinksthinks.com/2009/12/15/committing-customer-forever/#comment-1024 Jon Klar Tue, 15 Dec 2009 20:27:48 +0000 http://davidspinks.com/?p=1608#comment-1024 What about the reverse side? As customers, every time we buy something these days we have to deal with e-mails, newsletters, sale notifications, blah blah blah. Why can't we just go into a store, trade money for goods, and leave it at that? You want to make a customers experience amazing? Sell them a product that does what you say it does and don't ask them to sign up for anything. What about the reverse side? As customers, every time we buy something these days we have to deal with e-mails, newsletters, sale notifications, blah blah blah. Why can’t we just go into a store, trade money for goods, and leave it at that?

You want to make a customers experience amazing? Sell them a product that does what you say it does and don’t ask them to sign up for anything.

]]> By: beverlyboston http://whatspinksthinks.com/2009/12/15/committing-customer-forever/#comment-1023 beverlyboston Tue, 15 Dec 2009 19:05:41 +0000 http://davidspinks.com/?p=1608#comment-1023 Love this post, so short but so packed with wisdom. Sustainable, profitable business can not ignore the long-term implications of a short-term, transaction based perspective. Love this post, so short but so packed with wisdom. Sustainable, profitable business can not ignore the long-term implications of a short-term, transaction based perspective.

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