Customer Service, a lost art?

We have all been there, hanging on the line for a phone company or utility company or Government Service when we are told that "your call will be answered in the next 30-40 minutes", or you can revert to a website. It is annoying, it is unacceptable but what can we do? Generally not a lot!!

The same should not apply for smaller businesses where customer service is often key to survival or to industries like the freight business where the client has a choice of hundreds of providers so Customer Service should be paramount. The United Kingdom is now a great exporter of services based products to the rest of the world, so we should be experts in this field. Unfortunately this is not always the case. 

Constraints on businesses due to increasing competition and narrowing margins can lead to staff being overworked and pushed to their limit, where upon the common courtesy of a friendly tone or a nicely worded email go out of the window. How often do we now chose to send an email rather than pick up the telephone or even better do both. If we do follow up with a call will the customer appreciate it or will they themselves be to busy to speak to us.. Well I think its always worth making the extra effort.

As Managing Director of Mannson Freight Services I have spent a lot of time in the office brokering deals with agents and carriers, making sure systems and procedures are all in place and being adhered to and travelling the globe to visit our overseas partners and clients. So it would be very easy for me to take my eye of the ball and not keep a close watch on the desk to desk relationships between our own staff and the staff of our clients. With this in mind I decided that I would hit the road again and spend a few months visiting clients far and wide.

What I find in general is thankfully that we are doing a grand job, however there are of course the occasional blips, after all we are all human! The more interesting findings were regarding the interpretations made by clients when they are sent a short message which can be read either way. For example when replying to an email with the word "done, completed or actioned" etc. but nothing else the client can interpret  this as being cold or uninterested or they can take it that the job has been done, however much will depend on the mood of the receiver and their expectations. This is a small thing, but small things matter so why take chances. A little customer service, a few additional words on a simple email, picking up a phone or the odd smiley face can go a long way!

Don't ever expect your clients to know what stress you are under and therefore understand your shortness with them, don't let your standards slip. Smile and the world smiles with you..... 

Point in question...  Majority of Americans not happy with freight forwarders phone manner...