How to make customer service count

When customer service is done well, it can have an overwhelming impact on the company’s bottom line - and the opposite is true too

Every business has a customer, whether it’s another business or a consumer. This means customer service matters regardless of which sector you operate in. While businesses talk the talk about the importance of customer service, not all of them do so well with walking the walk. To put it bluntly, when customer service is done well, it can have an overwhelming impact on the company’s bottom line - and the opposite is true too.

Mike Ryan, CEO of PACK & SEND UK, discusses some of the benefits of working in a franchise where customer service is the priority.

Online reviews
There’s nothing quite like the feeling of receiving a positive review of your service. When you’ve completed a busy day, it’s great to receive confirmation that your efforts have resulted in a happy customer. This feedback is invaluable to a business owner - knowing what delights your customers is key to retaining and winning business.

Similarly, it’s important to be ready to respond when a review doesn’t meet the standard you would usually expect. This opportunity to address a mistake and provide a correction is just as valuable as getting a positive comment. Think of it as constructive rather than a setback, and remember that it’s important to react and respond. Reach out to the customer and let them know you’ll take their comment onboard and see how you can assist in another way. That way, others who come across the page will see a solution is being sought rather than it just being ignored.

A lot of businesses might not have the luxury of physically being able to see what their customers are saying. PACK & SEND has a designated page on both Trustpilot and Google Reviews which allows each franchisee to personally see how well they are performing. As savvy customers in the modern world – especially since the pandemic has taken its toll on every business – we know that reviews are a go-to when searching for a product or service. These pages act as testimonials and give customers a heads-up in terms of which provider to opt for. 

A 2018 survey reveals that the most common filter on review sites is 4-stars, with 35 per cent of respondents clicking this option when searching for a provider. With another 10 per cent looking for 5-stars, it’s clear that almost half of the people surveyed consider anything below a 4-star rating not worthy of their investment. PACK & SEND currently has an average of 4.8 on Trustpilot, with Google’s score sitting at 4.9.

A franchisor who cares too
A franchise with a passion for customer service will most definitely have a franchisor that prides itself on seeing these results too. Not only do they want what’s best for the brand in its entirety, but they also want to see that franchisees are creating an impact in their local community. They are, perhaps, the biggest champion for success.

Franchisors will be keen to monitor the results, just like any franchisees should be during each trading period. They will be sitting down to examine the impact that the network is having all over the country and identify any areas that stand out for recognition or support.

Above all else, they will be evaluating and reacting to anything they themselves can take on board, with the potential to implement network-wide improvements. The constant source of feedback is a great way for franchisors to take a wide view of the reasons why customers engage the services of their brand, helping them to react accordingly. Whether the response is to implement new services or improve existing ones, this will have an impact on a franchisee’s own business, as well as the brand as a whole, driving everyone forward in the process.

Getting it right first time
It is important to monitor engagement with customers right from the start, understanding their needs, finding solutions and managing their expectations. In the event that an issue arises during the process, swift action can remedy it before it becomes a problem. Customers really appreciate the ability to pick up the phone and speak to a real person who is genuinely interested in helping them. By communicating with customers throughout the whole process, it demonstrates that their trust is well placed.

Repeat business
One of the main advantages of a focus on customer service is, the more effort that’s put in, the more you’re likely to see in business results. The greater the emphasis that’s placed on delivering the best for your customers, providing the best solutions and going above and beyond, the better the reputation. It’s extremely rewarding to see people coming back with repeat business and becoming loyal customers, forming great long-term relationships.

By nurturing these relationships, and truly understanding the needs of your clients, you can develop a more streamlined and personalised service in the future. These are the connections every business loves to make as these customers become your raving fans – willing to share how good your service is not just on review boards but to colleagues, family and friends too.

Having a public forum of reviews means that the entire network can be part of boosting the profile of the franchise. Our ‘No Limits’ culture is fed by our franchisees’ commitment to creating solutions for their customers’ packaging and shipping issues that have often proven too difficult for anyone else to solve. PACK & SEND prides itself on creating raving fans of our customers as a result of our world-class service levels, who, in turn, go on to be big advocates of the brand.