Tag Archives: customer service

The importance of customer service to an increasingly diverse marketplace

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The material in this blog was provided by Paula Hernandez, a Porch.com and Floify.com writer who is full of positivity and creativity. She loves to write articles that help others find what they are looking for. Her focus is to provide the best accurate information when it comes to home projects or inspirations. I modified and edited it to be particularly relevant to my consulting area of diversity, equity and inclusion.

In today’s fast-paced and competitive marketplace, providing exceptional customer service is more important than ever. With the increasing diversity of customers, businesses need to be able to adapt to meet the needs and expectations of their customers. In this article, we will discuss the importance of customer service and how it can help businesses succeed in an increasingly diverse marketplace.

How to build credibility and trust for your marketplace business. Credibility and trust are essential for businesses to succeed in a competitive marketplace. Customers want to do business with companies they can trust. Providing exceptional customer service is one-way businesses can build credibility and trust with their customers. Responding quickly to inquiries, addressing customer concerns, and going above and beyond to solve customer problems are all ways to build trust and strengthen customer relationships.

How to deal with an increasingly diverse online marketplace? The increasing diversity of customers presents both opportunities and challenges for businesses. To succeed in an increasingly diverse marketplace, businesses need to be able to adapt to meet the needs of different customer groups. Offering multiple language options and providing culturally sensitive customer service are effective strategies for adapting to a diverse marketplace. It’s also important to be aware of cultural differences in communication styles and customer expectations.

Customer service channels.  There are various channels through which customer service can be provided, each with its benefits and drawbacks. It’s important to choose the right channel(s) for your business based on your target audience and the type of inquiries you receive.

It is important for phone center support staff be trained to respectfully communicate with a wide range of diverse clients.

1. Phone: One of the oldest and most traditional customer service channels is the phone. It allows customers to speak directly with a representative and get their questions or concerns addressed in real-time. This is especially helpful for more complex issues requiring a back-and-forth dialogue.

2. Email: Email is a popular customer service channel that allows customers to communicate asynchronously with businesses. It’s ideal for less urgent inquiries and can be more convenient for customers who may not be able to call during business hours. Email also provides a written record of the conversation, making it easier to refer back to.

3. Chat: Chat is a newer customer service channel that has become increasingly popular recently. It allows customers to chat in real-time with a representative through a website or app. This is often more convenient than phone support since customers can multitask while waiting for a response. Chat also provides a written record of the conversation.

4. Social media: Social media has become an important customer service channel, especially for younger audiences. Customers can send messages or comments through social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and businesses can respond publicly or privately. This allows businesses to address customer concerns quickly and publicly demonstrate their commitment to customer service.

Each of these customer service channels has its own benefits and drawbacks. It’s important to consider which channels will be most effective for your target audience and to provide consistent and high-quality support across all channels.

How to use customer service as a marketing strategy. Customer service can also be used as a marketing tool. Businesses that provide exceptional customer service can use customer feedback and testimonials to promote their products or services. Happy customers are more likely to recommend a business to their friends and family, leading to increased word-of-mouth advertising and customer acquisition.

Providing exceptional customer service is crucial for businesses looking to succeed in an increasingly diverse marketplace. A well-designed and modern marketplace can help businesses build credibility and trust with their customers, while culturally sensitive customer service can help businesses adapt to the needs of different customers.

Win by putting employees first

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Donna Cutting shared many of the principles from her latest book, “Employees First”

How can you win the marketplace? How can you provide the best customer service that delights your customers and keeps them coming back again and again?

Sorry, but it is NOT living by the worn out slogans that “the customer is always right” or that “the customer is king.” Instead, if you put your employees first and treat them like gold, they will then respond by going the extra mile to provide excellent effort to excel internally and externally with your customers and clients.

Recently, I both attended an event and read an article that illustrates this point.

In October, 2022, I attended the North Carolina SHRM (Society of Human Resource Mgt) Conference. One of the keynote speakers was Donna Cutting, founder and CEO of Red-Carpet Learning Systems, Inc., a consulting firm that provides tools and training to help leaders engage their teams to deliver world-class customer service. She shared that initially she formed her consulting and training practice around focusing on providing world-class customer service, but then later found that putting your employees first was the ticket to excellent customer service.

Putting employees first with enhance, not detract from, great customer service.

Some of Donna’s main points in her presentation:

  • Putting employees first does not mean you are putting your customers last, but instead inspires your employees to provide that sterling customer service.
  • That it is Human Resources that most often will need to take the lead in promoting this paradigm change, and it starts by changing the minds of the senior leaders
  • Though HR may take the lead around employee experience, it does have to be an “everyone function.”
  • Organizational culture needs to shift from a silo focus to a collaboration focus.
  • It’s most often not the people that need fixing, but the processes that need fixing.
  • Finally, don’t think of your people as “human assets,” but instead as “human beings.”

And then a great article I recently read was in my University of Chicago Booth School of Business Fall 2022 Chicago Booth Magazine. The cover story was “Putting People First” with 1998 Booth alumni Jim Fish and his company WM (formerly known as Waste Management.) As President and CEO of WM, Jim Fish led WM into becoming a leading company for sustainability and people-first policies.

Jim makes it a point to stay connected with his team members across all roles throughout the country so he can understand their needs. He built upon his own life experiences of living through a long life-threatening illness and how others came to assistance during that difficult time. He has instituted innovative programs such as funding college education for his employees’ children, which has resulted in unprecedented levels of employee retention, satisfaction and performance.

Give “putting employees first” a try in your organization and see what kind of outstanding results will come!