Customer service priority is to consider the client as king
Customer service priority is to consider the client as king
By Vishnu K. Mahmud
JAKARTA (JP): Recently in the U.S., a computer consultant
found a security flaw in an e-commerce site, which had the
potential of displaying customer's credit card details. Although
the consultant had informed customer services and management
about the issue (as well as how to patch up the flaw), the
website continued to operate for a few days even after it came to
light. Even worse, the company failed to warn its client base
that their credit card numbers may have been compromised.
Issues regarding guest satisfaction continue to be a primary
concern in the hotel industry. You would never let a guest walk
out unhappy. Good managers always foresee if a small problem
(e.g. a small water leak) can result in disaster (flooding the
lobby) and take steps to prevent any unwanted incidents.
In this case, the plight of the aggrieved parties became
public, casting a black eye on the reputation of the company.
The corporation may have dealt with the problem "by the book" or
pursuant to a variety of rules and regulations, but in the end,
the customer feels victimized.
And in the Internet era, that is the last thing you want to
do. Whereas before, aggrieved parties would have complained to
various newspapers and company management with limited public
exposure, they can now air their grievances online for all the
world to see.
Consumer protection sites can offer potential clients a
glimpse of what they can expect from using products and services
of certain companies. For example, Las Vegas Online
(http://www.lvol.com) offers users the opportunity to submit
hotel ratings for guests and potential visitors to carefully
choose which establishment to stay in based on the previous
experience of others. In Indonesia, the new site
http://www.pintunet.com offers web users a consumer database of a
variety of products and services available nationally. In
addition, any unsatisfied customers are able create their own
website as a warning beacon to others.
It is common sense to realize that the client is king. If you
treat them well, they will praise your company to their closest
friends, recommending them to go to you. If they leave with a
bitter experience, the whole world will sympathize with their
plight.
It is no secret that deluxe hotel chains such as the Four
Seasons and Aman resorts are world renowned for their excellent
service. Guests continue to return to these hotels because of
their high quality of professionalism, diligent upkeep and
personalized (yet non-intrusive) guest experience.
If any problem should occur, the hotel would do its utmost to
satisfy the reasonable requests of the guest. Should an immediate
solution be not readily available, the hotel would continuously
follow up with the client instead of leaving him on his own. In
the end, it is not the actual problem that will irritate the
client but how poorly you handle it.
In a few years time, Indonesia will become part of a Free
Trade Zone, in which foreign corporations can compete directly
with local companies. Indonesians will be able to choose a wide
variety of merchandise and services from various companies. If
people continue to be overcharged, under-serviced and ignored,
new companies will only have to advertise themselves as the good
guys, "We're not like company X. Come to us! We welcome you!"
No matter how many services you offer, no matter how many
products you have, the client experience before, during and after
the sale will always be the underlying reason for them to come
back. And although they may not have many choices now, they will
remember when other alternatives arrive.