It’s the trend of the decade. The techies say it saves a lot of money, and it can, but if you overdo it, customers very often hate it. We’re sure you’ve experienced it. Ever encountered customer service that’s delegated entirely to chatbots that don’t understand you? Struggled to find a human to talk to? Called a “helpline” only to find yourself navigating endless, unhelpful menus that leave you frustrated and angry?
We have good news for you. Your business doesn’t have to be that way, and instead of losing money on an “expense,” customer service could be your pathway to success. We’ve collected inspiring customer service-related quotes that explain just why superb human service is the one thing that could put you miles ahead of your competitors.
Customer Service is Your Competitive Edge
Customer satisfaction is at an all-time low, and poor service is among customers’ top gripes. Good service, it seems, has become rare enough to make news headlines. Just treating your customers well and going the extra mile when called for could be your top competitive advantage. These quotes about customer service from knowledge leaders reflect this.
“Goodwill is the only asset that competition cannot undersell or destroy.” (Marshall Field)
“He profits most who serves best.” (Arthur F. Sheldon)
“You’ll never have a product or price advantage again. They can be easily duplicated, but a strong customer service culture can’t be copied.” (Jerry Fritz)
“Customer service will allow you to compete within your respective industry, but truly great customer service will allow you to transcend the industry altogether.” (Than Merrill)
“Customer service is what sets the good companies apart from the bad companies. Think of it as an added value. In today’s competitive industry, everyone can provide the best product, but not great customer service.” (Charles Vallena)
Customer Service is a Strategic Investment, Not a Cost
We’ve always believed this, and it seems plenty of authorities agree. The money you put into customer service may be the best investment in your business you’ve ever made. Let’s hear it through these “I wish I’d said that myself” quotes regarding customer service.
“There are many who subscribe to the convention that service is a business cost, but our data demonstrates that superior service is an investment that can help drive business growth.” (Jim Bush)
“A satisfied customer is the best business strategy of all.” (Michael LeBoeuf)
“If you make a sale, you make a living. If you make an investment of time and good service in a customer, you can make a fortune.” (Jim Rohn)
“Customer service is not a cost centre; it’s a revenue generator.” (Micah Solomon)
“What helps people, helps business.” (Leo Burnett)
Customer Retention Through Service Boosts Your Bottom Line
It costs a lot to win a new customer, so it pays to keep them once you have them. The best way to do that is to serve them well and build relationships. According to a Bain & Company study, increasing customer retention by 5 percent can increase profits by as much as 25 percent. These business thinkers say it all.
“When the customer comes first, the customer will last.” (Robert Half)
“Sales without Customer Service is like stuffing money into a pocket full of holes.” (David Tooman)
“There is only one boss. The customer. And he can fire everybody in the company from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else.” (Sam Walton)
“Listen to your customers or you will have none”―Zach Hendrix
Great Customer Service Turns Customers Into Your Best Salespeople
We all know how important referrals are, and many businesses report that their best business comes in this way. Treat those referred customers well, and you can get a snowball effect at no additional cost. We’re not talking about “referral marketing” here, but about honest-to-goodness and completely sincere recommendations. These quotes about customer service hit the nail on the head.
“Courteous treatment will make a customer a walking advertisement.” (James Cash Penney)
“The key is when a customer walks away, thinking, ‘Wow, I love doing business with them, and I want to tell others about the experience.” (Shep Hyken)
“Happy customers are your biggest advocates and can become your most successful sales team.” (Lisa Masiello)
“Referrals are the fingerprints of the great experiences you provide.” (Max Traylor)
“You can focus on adoption, retention, expansion, or advocacy, or you can focus on your customers and get all of those things.” (Lincoln Murphy)
Customer Service Means Listening, And Listening Gives You Strategic Guidance
At RSVP, we provide important business intelligence to our call centre clients simply by listening to their customers. Those who choose to use this intelligence to guide their strategies find new ways to satisfy and even delight their clients. These great customer service quotes underscore just how important listening is.
“The customer tells us how to stay in business, [so it’s] best that we listen.” (Pamela Nelson)
“Customers often know more about your products than you do. Use them as a source of inspiration and ideas for product development.” (David J. Greer)
The more you engage with customers, the clearer things become and the easier it is to determine what you should be doing.” (John Russell)
“Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.” (Bill Gates)
“Customers are important; they are the experts on what your product is, when we often get caught up in what our product could or would be” (Cairo Amani)
Customer Service Matters Because Customers Are The Reason Your Business Exists
Customer service is so much more than just making people feel good. It’s key to business survival and business success. We’ll add to our selection of the very best customer service quotes by closing with reminders about who really is the boss: every one of your customers.
“Customer service shouldn’t just be a department, it should be the entire company.” (Tony Hsieh)
“Bottom-line obsession comes from turning the pursuit of money into a God and forgetting the real master your business serves: The Customer.” (Michael Shevack)
“Every company’s greatest assets are its customers, because without customers, there is no company.” (Michael LeBoeuf)
Customer Service is Human
You can help customers with easy enquiries using automation. If it’s easy for them to find what they want and get what they want, they’ll be mildly pleased. However, only humans can delight, soothe, empathise, or solve that knotty problem your automated systems weren’t quite prepared for. And only humans can make real connections. We’ll close with a pair of recent quotes we believe capture this to perfection.
Stellar service should be non-negotiable, and merchants shouldn’t hide behind self-service tools and technology when it comes to knowing their products and taking care of their customers.” (Lauren Freedman)
The greatest technology in the world has not replaced the ultimate relationship-building tool between a customer and a business―the human touch.” (Shep Hyken)
How RSVP Helps You Solve The Challenge of Providing Exceptional Customer Service
As you can see from our collection of great customer service quotes, we’re almost religious about customer service, and so we should be. We make it our business to serve customers as if we were the businesses they support.
We understand that having a scalable number of people available to pick up the phone at a moment’s notice around the clock isn’t possible for most businesses, even big ones. Quality and training matter too. Those callers need to meet with more than enthusiastically helpful voices on the phone. They need people who are willing to empathise, advise, or fill whatever role the caller wants them to play.
Finally, the people who represent your business must have the technology they need to capture information and relay it in a digestible format so that you can analyse the messages customers are sending out. Where do they struggle? Why do they need help? What are they happy or unhappy about?
At RSVP, we do all of these things and more. We’re proud of our team, and it may interest you to know that all of them are actors. Who else can sound chipper at 2 AM or project your brand persona as if it were a real, live character?
We don’t just talk the talk. From sales to outsourced customer service and support, we work to produce measurable results. Call our London offices to discuss your customer service needs today. We’re eager to serve you and your customers.