Good customer service involves developing bonds with customers. But it is not easily achieved. It requires continuous efforts and improvement. This article finds some answers for retailers on customer service.

When was the last time you provided good customer service? A question like this will fetch—‘Everyday’—as an answer from a retailer. But is it true? ISPF team spoke to several consumers to understand what they really mean about management. So always strive for a high-quality output as it shows you have a high level of standards.

“There are many components to convincing customer service. It involves being a kind, and courteous professional listening carefully to customer wants and concerns. As a customer, I feel taken care of, if a retailer starts listening carefully to my concerns. For me buying a product and service during my purchase is not what I expect. I want the retailer to take care of my requirements after sales. It could be on service or cleaning of my mattress, exchange of product or it could be any other concern I might have. Today most of the retailers consider customer service during sales but they should focus on both pre-sales and after-sales service as well”, says Bhargavi Subramanya, a School Teacher from Bangalore.

“A good exchange policy, if it’s feasible for the company. Eg. I bought a King size memory foam mattress in 2011 paying Rs 32,000. Never felt happy with the product with what I was promised and what I got. Could not exchange it next year as the exchange cost was fixed at Rs 1,000. Such experience makes it difficult for me to go to that retailer and buy their product,” says Dr Jaideep Tyagi, New Delhi.

I am a big critic of Interactive voice response (IVR) in customer service says Lakshmeesha from Mysuru. “I recently purchased a mobile phone and it had some issues. When I went to a retailer, he asked me to speak to the customer care executive of the company to schedule a pick-up of a phone from my home for repair. He said retailers do not address any customer concerns. When I called the customer care number, IVR started directing me to book the schedule. I was fed up with the entire process. It took more than 30 minutes and several attempts to speak to the customer care executive and book a schedule for my phone pick-up. I call it Irritating Customer to the Maximum (ICM)”, he adds. Prasanna Kumar, a retailer offering home decor products, says he learned a lesson on customer service, the hard way.

Retailers should use age-appropriate greetings to the customer. Sometimes it is better to refer a lady customer with ‘Madam’. One of the lady customers was not happy when a store assistant called her ‘Aunty’. She left the store without making any purchase with us.”

Remember, retailers exist in a highly saturated marketplace. But good customer service is the only technique that will help the retailer to hold on to customers. Providing outstanding customer service and creating memorable customer experiences is the key to the sales and future existence of a business. w customer service. We have some surprising points which we feel need to be implemented by all mattress retailers. One of the biggest factors in good customer service is speed and timeline.