GOOD CUSTOMER REALLY ISN’T LEADERSHIP

One of the single most important elements to any business, not just in fenestration, is good customer service. It’s one of the fundamental pillars to success within a company, and often the reason a business struggles to survive if customer service goes south.

But when you think about it, the foundations of good customer service really aren’t that difficult. So why is it some get it right, and some get it so wrong?

Culture and leadership

It’s really not rocket science. Good customer service is not a highly specified skill. If a customer reports a problem, attempt to sort it out as quickly as possible so that both parties are satisfied. If someone emails, answer back! If there is a product fault, organise a repair or replacement as soon as you can. If people have questions, find answers and don’t ignore them.

I’m not telling you how to suck eggs, but the very basics of good customer service are simply communicating to the end user in a timely fashion. So many times I see on social media complaints of poor customer service in our own sector due to the fact that no one is getting back to them. Phone calls and emails going unanswered. Weeks and weeks of silence on replacement parts. It’s not difficult to pick up the phone, no matter how late in the day it is. The same goes for emails.

So much of the time, the frustration shown by a customer is just down to poor communication. In my experience, a problem that takes time to fix isn’t an issue so long as the end user sees that you’re on top of the problem and trying to resolve it. Things go downhill if you ignore the client or take too long to offer a response.

I think we all know this. This isn’t new. But in my 17 years in this industry, I have come to learn that the difference between good customer service and bad customer service comes down to the culture and leadership within a business. As with most things in the business world, the buck stops with the person at the top, and customer service performance is no different.

Drawing on my own experiences, I have dealt with a variety of suppliers to our own business, and it is clear to see where some businesses are being led well from the top and instilling a solid work ethic and focus on customer service. It has to come from the very top. From CEOs and MDs. They set the example and the direction a company goes in. For example, we use Endurance for our composite doors. They’re a supplier we can rely on and there is rarely a problem with anything they deliver. However, there was a small issue that arose this week.

Already the issue has been logged and progress has been made on resolving it. No phone calls required from our end to chase it up. Just notifying them of the problem, we got an email in response and we now know what action is being taken. Easy process, clear communication, and