In the competitive high-tech marketplace manufacturers go in for head-to-head, openly vying for market share around the world. Now manufacturers are seeking an edge over their rivals in the often undervalued area of service.
The quality and delivery of post-sales service is becoming increasingly critical as businesses do everything in their power to be more cost- effective, boost profit margins and meet customer demand for near-continuous availability of products. “The very day a manufacturer unveils a product quality issue to a Stock Exchange; its market cap drops almost 10 percent and doesn’t recover for at least three months.”
World-class, post-sales service leads to improved customer relations and ultimately increased loyalty. Services such as rapid onsite restoration, returns processing, spare parts fulfilment and equipment Reimbursement all fall under that umbrella. If customer experience does not match with customer expectation then it leads to customer dissatisfaction. If customer experience is greater than the customer feels delighted.
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After-sale-service phase starts after purchase and using the product. In some cases after- sale-service can be as important as the initial purchase. Is the product delivered promptly? Are the sales people courteous? Has the service manual been put? Service is location. Service is dealer support.
Service is required especially for the consumer durables, not for food items.
Ten Rules for Customer Service:
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1. Everyone in the organisation must devote one’s energy to provide customer satisfaction.
2. Articulate an in-depth knowledge of the products and services to win customer trust.
3. Communicate with your customers to know about the root cause of dissatisfaction.
4. Treat your customers with courtesy and respect. Every communication creates an impression. Phrases like ‘sorry for keeping you waiting’, ‘you are most welcome’, ‘it was a pleasure serving you’, all this helps in creating a good atmosphere.
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5. Never argue with a customer.
6. Repairs, call-backs and e-mails need to be handled very carefully. Solving customer complaints on the spot, increases repeat purchase.
7. Always provide what you assure.
8. Always assume that your customer is speaking the truth, even if he is lying. It is an opportunity to give them benefit of doubt. No customer likes to complain, one simply switches to the competitor.
9. Focus on making and retaining a customer than merely closing a sale to show higher volume of sale.