For any successful business, developing and selling a good product or service is only half the battle, It cannot be argued that nothing is more important than providing your customers with great support.
Providing good customer service experiences to your customers gives them a sense of belonging and pitches your business for another memorable transaction.
This means customer services are vital to the health and success of business organizations, but it’s unfortunate that many small businesses have failed to come to terms with this.
Customer service has progressed over the years as a tool for competitive advantage, customer loyalty, retention, among others.
For a fact, all activities of business organisations are geared toward customers’ satisfaction, why? Because the rationale behind the entrepreneurial efforts of any business organisation is to meet up with the needs of customers who in turn bring profits.
Therefore, this tool we talk about is not just ‘corporate’ in form. Anything called business, whether large or small, must be a stickler for ethics – one of which is customer’s service.
Beyond the corporate world, small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) constitute the largest proportion of business enterprises all over the world, because they drive economic growth and development anywhere they are found.
How then does customer service give a business value whether corporate or small scale?
Recent research by popular trade assessment platform SHOPIFY, shows an average customer retention rate of 75 percent across different sectors in Nigeria. A stat largely dependent on the amount of work put in banks, firms or even the media.
A business owner, Ilesanmi Victor, explains what gives his solo business an edge over a multitude of competitors.
On the other hand, one Mrs Okolie spoke on habits that can influence customers regret or satisfaction.
Similarly, a small business owner who identifies as Mary Ugwoke, maintains that an improved customer service is key to the survival of any serious business in the current day Nigeria.
Customer service is way too integral for any business savvy individual or organization to handle sloppily.
While Banks, media organizations and multinationals serve as models for evolving customer service, small businesses must not sit back.
More than ever before, the goal of every business in this harsh economic climate is to keep a customer satisfied, happy and loyal.
