Are you spending more time standing in line at retail and grocery stores? How about on hold for customer support or waiting for your dinner to be served at your favorite local restaurant?
Employee layoffs—from department stores to nationwide real estate companies—means there are fewer employees to serve our needs. And as the employees scramble to cover a job once done by several people, customer service often goes out the window.
A recent article on MSN.com illustrates the importance of good customer service—no matter the state of the economy! The article names the 10 best companies for customer service. Some of these companies have suffered employee losses, but some have not.
At the top, of course, are luxury companies like Lexus and Jaguar. When you’re dropping some serious dough on a “luxury” automobile, you expect to be treated like royalty, right? No. 1, not surprisingly, is Amazon, the Web giant that has cornered the market in online shopping. Ace Hardware, always known for its customer-oriented style, rounds out the list.
These companies have learned that everyone has a choice. You don’t have to buy a Lexus; there are other luxury autos to choose from. And Amazon may have just about everything you can imagine, but there are a bazillion places to shop online. But by focusing on the customer, these companies keep them coming back.
Great customer service is even more important in today’s dire economy. Let’s face it, nearly everyone is angry, confused sad, in despair, upset or, at the very least, concerned about the recession. So tempers and feelings are on shorter leashes. I’m sure you see it every day: The couple forced to downsize after losing their home in a foreclosure. Or, the family who has to give up their unit because they can no longer afford it.
Take a cue from Amazon and Lexus. Your customers have a choice. They can just as easily travel a little farther down the road and walk through some other facility’s doors to rent a unit. Give them a reason to stay with you.
Here are some great articles from the ISS archives about improving customer service.
Customer-Service Savvy for Self-Storage
Stabilizing Self-Storage Occupancies in an Unstable Economy
Being the Best We Can Be