A question that many businesses should ask is “Is customer service more important than Product?”
A very good question and one that deserves some thought…I do not think that these two elements to a business are mutually exclusive in that you have to choose one or the other, but one thing that I would advocate is that businesses should not get too caught up in perfecting a fantastic product, whilst forgetting the all important ‘Customer Service’ aspect of the business!
Take McDonalds as an example for a moment and take a look at what their business is all about…well firstly, we all know they sell burgers and let’s face it, they are not the best burgers in the world. If their burgers were put into a competition against burgers from other businesses, they would probably lose big time. However, what McDonalds do have is a reputation for great service, but more importantly you know exactly what you are going to get, no matter where you are in the world!
So I would argue that McDonalds have focused most of their attention on customer service and the ‘Experience‘ that customers enjoy when they visit a McDonalds store no matter where they are.
Please do not get me wrong here, I am not suggesting that you try to sell shoddy products or services, because your business will soon fail if you do so, as you will certainly not get repeat custom if your products are not up to scratch…take a look at the UK-care industry and how this ended in misery, whereas companies like Mercedes have a great product and an excellent back up customer service too.
It is all about a balance and making sure that you keep a focus on every aspect of the ‘experience’ your customers have when dealing with your business…ultimately to make sure they come back time and again, which is just one of the 7-ways to grow your business!
Thank you for your comments on this subject!
I think customer service is also a part of a product. If one of these two aspects of a product is bad I still might come back. If both are, I most certainly wont. If they have good service and great product, I won’t look anywhere else.
Great article, you’ve really hit the nail on the head. Obviously your business needs quality products to survive, but for some reason if they’re not quite up to scratch, excellent customer service is ultimately what will bring them back through the door, thats why I believe service style is of paramount importance in any business.