Quality customer service is crucial to the success of any business. While marketing and product development are important, the relationship between a business and its customers greatly affects the success of all other elements in a business. Customer service focused on providing a favorable experience will increase the likelihood of retaining customers and gaining new customers through word of mouth. Poor customer service can create a reputation that may prove difficult to overcome.

Relationship Between Customer and Business

Quality customer service should focus on building a relationship between the customer and the business. Ideally, customers will continue to utilize a business' services and products in the future, so creating a quality relationship is key to ensuring repeat business. Good customer communication is built on a foundation of courtesy and respect. Customer surveys can help a business better understand its customer base and establish a positive relationship between clients and customer service representatives. Following up with customers after a product or service has been delivered will indicate to the purchaser that the business cares about customer satisfaction, which can increase the likelihood of repeat business.

Reliability

A company should always convey reliability to its customers. Keeping promises, providing replacement products or services in a timely fashion, and responding quickly to questions or problems indicate to customers that a business is committed to reliable customer service. If a customer believes that a business can be counted on in the event of a problem, he will be more likely to purchase goods or services from that business in the future.

Product Knowledge

Expressing extensive knowledge of the products and services provided by the business is important for effective customer service. Customers contacting a company for assistance want to receive quality information regarding their purchases. Providing extensive FAQs on a company website and updating customer service representatives with new product and service developments will increase overall product knowledge among employees, which enhances the customer-service experience.

Ease of Doing Business

Whatever goods or services a business provides, customers should have no trouble acquiring them. Overly complicated product descriptions, forms and purchasing procedures can decrease customer satisfaction and ultimately reduce the likelihood of a sale.