Customer service is good for marketing, but only if you deliver.

Advertising yourself as being customer centric or delivering great customer service is fair enough if you are customer centric or delivering great customer service. However, as a recent article (Zappos’ Rob Siefker: ‘Good customer service starts at the top’) suggests that many firms are in danger of using this tactic just as a method of attracting new customers but they are not delivering as it’s all just ‘lip-service’.

Zappos’ Rob Siefker says:

“People don’t put their money where their mouth is. They talk about it, but they’re not committed. They do it to market themselves, rather than because that’s what they believe. Good customer service has to start with the top; it can’t just happen on its own. It needs to be who you are and not just a business strategy.”

Now, I don’t want to pour cold water on firms that are striving to be customer centric or to deliver great customer service. It could be an aim for them, an aspiration, a goal etc.

But, if that’s where you are at then that’s where it gets dangerous. Setting yourself up as something and then not delivering. Well, that’s the fast track to customer disappointment, loss of trust, dashed expectations and, potentially, a whole heap of vitriol.

Therefore, don’t shout about something if you are not it or are not there yet. Instead, just focus on being and doing, being customer centric and doing and delivering great customer service.

As Elvis once sung:

“A little less conversation, a little more action please

All this aggravation ain’t satisfactioning me

A little more bite and a little less bark

A little less fight and a little more spark

Close your mouth and open up your heart and baby satisfy me

Satisfy me baby”

You can check out the full lyrics here and watch the popular remix: Elvis vs JXL – A Little Less Conversation ft. Elvis Presley below:

How much Elvis do you have in your business?

Photo Credit: val.pearl via Compfight cc