There are a few things that really drive me bonkers: people talking in movies, ordering a regular large coffee at Starbucks, decaf coffee, and businesses boasting about how great their customer service is.
Just like decaf coffee isn’t really coffee, customer service isn’t really a marketing point for your business. Providing excellent customer service isn’t a marketing angle; offering your customers great service is simply something every business needs to do in order to be successful. The only way people will know if your customer service is really all that great is if they call several times – and that usually means your product or service wasn’t that great!
If you own a plumbing company and you can get a plumber out to a house or business in one hour or less, your selling point isn’t customer service – it’s your ability to have a plumber on the scene to get the problem fixed in an hour or less.
There is a coffee shop I like to frequent in Green Bay that does a great job with this. They don’t market that they have the best customer service. They market that they have the best baristas who are always happy to help you find the drink you are looking for.
Customer service is important for any business, but it isn’t a marketing point. Should you spend time, money, and other resources on developing great customer service? YES! Absolutely – but customer service isn’t your selling point. If you dig a little deeper, you’ll find an actually unique selling point that you can easily market and turn into sales.