Customer service is the support you offer your customers — both before and after they buy your

product — that helps them have an easy and enjoyable experience with you. It’s more than just
providing answers; it’s an important part of the promise your brand makes to its customers.

Customer service is the act of taking care of the customer's needs by providing and delivering
professional, helpful, high quality service and assistance before, during, and after the customer's
requirements are met.

Importance

here are five reasons why I firmly believe customer service is more important than anything else
in your business.

1. THE BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE BUILDS TRUST

These days, people will only stay loyal to a company if they have very good reason to.
Otherwise, there is plenty of competition available they could choose to move to. As a result,
you have to work even harder to keep customers and build their trust in your brand. By providing
the best in customer service, you will increase trust, and that could mean the difference between
customer loyalty and customers who jump ship.

2. CUSTOMER SERVICE MATTERS MORE THAN PRICE

When studies and surveys have been completed, they continue to find that a large group of
consumers say that customer service is much more important than price. To get the right
experience, they are willing to pay more.

[Tweet “Customer service is more important than price.”]

3. IT WILL BUILD BRAND AWARENESS

If you don’t already know this, then it is time to learn. Word of mouth is the most powerful ally
you have on your side. What your customers say to others could make or break your business.
When you provide the best in customer service, guess what happens? People will talk about you.
They will remember your brand. If they hear someone else talking that they need a specific kind
of company, they are much more likely to say, “Oh, go to this place. They are great!”

Related: 3 Ways to Get Customers to Give Your Brand Better Reviews

 
4. GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE REDUCES PROBLEMS

Problems are always going to arise for any business no matter how hard you try to avoid them.
While you can’t run a perfect business with all the perfect customers, you can ensure friction
doesn’t become an issue. If customers know that they can voice complaints and those issues will
be handled properly, they will feel more comfortable doing business with you.

[Tweet “Problems are always going to arise for any business no matter how hard you try to avoid
them.”]

5. IT APPEALS TO THE CUSTOMER

Once upon a time, business was all about closing the sale. It didn’t matter how you got to that
point. These days, you will need to cater to the New Customer. This is someone who expects to
be treated as a person, who wants more from the experience, and who does not want to be just a
number. Better customer service will ensure you are providing them what they want.

When it comes to a business, nothing matters if you offer poor customer service. Keep these five
things in mind so that you can understand just how important it really is for your own success.
So, make sure you are offering the best in customer service, and enjoy the positive results.
lifestyle

Customer service in Japan vs Europe

Aug. 9, 2012 06:15 am JST 110 Comments

By Steven Simonitch

TOKYO

One of the things almost all foreign tourists to Japan comment on is the quality of customer
service. The phrase “the customer is god” is hammered into Japanese customer service and
restaurant staff and the politeness and thoroughness with which they tend to you certainly does a
great job at making you feel like one.

Yet while there are plenty of stories on the Internet about Japanese customer service from a
foreigner’s perspective, what do the Japanese think about the rest of the world’s manners?

Reiko Kawakami over at Excite Japan shares her observations about shopping and customer
service in the West vs Japan based on her experience living abroad in England, Italy and
Romania.

So how does a lady hailing from a country where the customer is king view these 3 Western
countries? Her analysis follows below:

■ How staff treat customers

Japan: Always put the customer before yourself. You don’t have to go so far as to say everything
looks good on them, but you should avoid offending them at all costs.

The West: “The customer is god? Yeah, right!” While there’s still the idea of respecting the
customer (they do carry the wallet, after all), they are usually treated as equals. It doesn’t matter
if its your job to serve them: if a customer does something you don’t like, you let them know it. I
once pointed out to a store clerk in England that they made a mistake at the register and they just
shot back at me with: “All I did was put it through the scanner.” I go to the service counter to
look for help but no one is there. No one comes to help me when I can’t find something in the
store. And it’s even worse in Italy and Romania, where staff and customers will yell at each
other in loud voices — a scene that would leave any Japanese person stunned.

■ Talking in-store

Japan: There is no personal chatting between staff while on duty. You should be ready to attend
to a customer’s needs at a moment's notice.

The West: Feel free to chat about whatever you want with whoever you want. Some staff even
stand there staring at their cell phones and paying no attention to what’s going on around them.
While in Romania, I once asked a store clerk for help finding something while they were in the
middle of a conversation and, without pausing to address me, they just pointed their finger as if
to say “over there!” When I went to report this to the store manager, I was told that he was away
on vacation for a month.

■ Eating in-store

Japan: You do not eat in front of customers. In fact, unless you work at a restaurant, you
shouldn’t even think about eating in the store at all.

The West: At a clothing store in England I witnessed a young lady behind the counter snacking
on potato chips and then lick her fingers to clean(?) them after a customer approached. Please …
for the love of god … wash your hands. Why are you even eating potato chips during your shift
in the first place? Another time, while waiting in line to buy tickets, the elderly woman at the
ticketing counter turned to me and said: “Could you wait until after I have a sip of tea?” and
proceeded to take a drink from the cup on her desk ... in front of everyone in line. Sure, she
seemed tired from helping customer after customer, but it’s not like we have all day either, right?
At least, that’s what I thought until I noticed no one else around me seemed to care.

■ Wrapping

Japan: While Japan is learning to be less wasteful with gift-wrapping, it’s still an important part
of keeping a presentable store. Use waterproof wrapping on rainy days, double-bag for heavy
items: you should do what you can so as not to inconvenience the customer.

The West: A lack of taste and skill unthinkable in Japan. I’ve found myself offering to gift-wrap
for them time and time again. Even in fashionable Italy, make one false move and you’ll be
handed a bundle of wrapping paper held sloppily together with cellophane tape. Somebody
please teach these people how to wrap!

■ The customers: taste-testing vs blatant in-store snacking

Japan: Taste-testing is done at designated areas with sample food prepared by staff. All other
food is not yours until paid for and should be treated with care.

The West: The moment it hits the cart, that food is yours. In Romania, I saw one customer rip
open a pack of fruit and start picking away at it and another place their opened bottle of juice
down for scanning at the register. While waiting to pay at the counter with a friend, I wondered
out loud what a certain candy tastes like and my friend opened up the package on the spot and
handed me a “sample.” “I hear recently some people are being told not to do this,” my friend
tells me. No, no, no: you should never have been doing this in the first place. It seems recently
young people are better about waiting until they get home but elderly folks have no reservations
about holding personal tasting parties whenever and wherever they please.

■ The customers: trying on clothes

Japan: Major clothing stores these days have combined male-female dressing rooms, but guys
are never allowed in underwear or swimsuit dressing rooms.

The West: Many male customers accompany their girlfriends when buying underwear ... all the
way to the dressing room. Some excited guys peek in to check on their girlfriends or even ask
them to try on something else they found. I’ve even seen guys mistakenly open the curtains to
the wrong dressing room while the occupant is in the middle of changing. And then there’s
people leaving their trash in the dressing room after they finish. Dear store staff, please manage
your customers a bit better, would you?

Source: Excite Bit

Customer service skills in clothing boutiques or stores mainly involve knowing how to read a
shopper quickly and accurately. Turning general browsers into true shoppers helps a shop boost
profits and build a return customer base. Being available and personable to everyone who walks
through the shop's doors, as well as being ready to help the customer find what they need, will
help the store's reputation grow in a positive light.

Show the Available Merchandise

Shoppers want to see the options available but often don't trust their own judgment on what is
nice or in style. Find items on the rack that are similar to what the shopper is currently wearing in
style, price and color. Give the customer several samples to try on. Once a pattern of taste
emerges, find a variety of samples in that line of taste. Showing a customer a piece increases the
odds that the piece will sell.

Make Suggestions

Gauge your customers' style and taste and make suggestions regarding pieces that will flatter the
wearer. Taller, slimmer shoppers will look better in certain pieces than shorter, curvier ones and
vice versa. Guide your shoppers to pieces that will make them look better by telling them which
pieces are particularly flattering to their body style or coloring or hair style.
Be Honest but Flattering

If a piece is too small or too large, tell the customer this, but do so very gently and tactfully.
Mention that it looks too tight or too long in the shoulders, avoiding mentioning the chest or
stomach area, as these areas can be sensitive topics for many women. If it's a good color but not
a good fit, say that the color is perfect for the shopper, but the cut of the garment doesn't quite
work. Always blame the item for it not fitting right, never the customer's body shape. Word your
suggestions and responses in a way that does not insult, but also doesn't lie. Be prepared to offer
an alternative piece in the same color or style.

Offer to Assist

The moment a customer walks into your shop, offer to assist her. Greet her and say something
along the lines of "May I help you find something today? We have 20 percent off all shoes and
have several cute styles available..." If you notice a customer looking at a certain piece of
merchandise, mention that you have that in other colors, sizes. Mention if it's machine washable,
travels well or other various traits of the piece. If the customer seems more reserved, allow them
some space, only offering assistance if they ask for it specifically. Some customers like to be
guided strongly, others prefer to look for themselves. Tailor your response to the type of shopper
they appear to be.

References

good customer service is essential for your clothing store to succeed. Your employees
will need other skills -- organizing inventory, operating the register, handling paperwork
-- but if they don't send your customers away happy, none of that will matter. According
to the firm Only Garment Racks, when customers describe a positive clothes-shopping
experience, good customer service is what they mention first.
Conversation

A good salesclerk doesn't have trouble talking to customers. In addition to answering questions,
he greets them when they enter the store, engages in small talk if they feel like chatting and gives
the impression he's glad to see them. If a customer wants to discuss what he's looking for, the
salesclerk lets the customer do most of the talking and listens to what he has to say. Customers
want your staff to be helpful, not to simply push whatever items are on sale.

Rapport

A passive sale is one where the shopper browses the store, doesn't ask for or refuses help, and
decides which clothes to buy without input from your staff. In an active sale, your employee
offers to help, provides feedback and suggests added purchases that might go with what the
customer intends to buy. It takes skill because the salesclerk has to do it without forcing herself
on a customer who wants to browse undirected. If the employee pushes items on someone who's
not interested, it can cost you a customer.

Knowledge

To give customers recommendations or suggestions, your sales staff needs knowledge. A

salesclerk has to have an idea of current fashion trends and an eye for what looks good on the
customer and what accessories would fit with their purchase. He also needs to know about your
store: where to find the different sizes and styles, whether you can order a particular item that's
out of stock, and what dresses or suits are on sale this week.

Problem Solving

If your customers come in with complaints or merchandise they want to return, employees have
to handle it smoothly. A good salesclerk listens without getting defensive, even if the customer
blames her for whatever went wrong. The salesclerk has to fix the problem, stay cool if the
customer gets angry and know which supervisor to ask for help if she can't solve the problem
herself. A good salesclerk can act as if the customer is always right, even when the customer's
wrong.

Good Customer Service for clothing

companies
When selling t-shirts online, a major thing that determines your long term success in the industry
is how well your customer service is. Of course your t-shirt designs have to be good in order for
people to want to buy, but what makes people really buy from you is how much they like you;
how they feel about the way you communicate with them. Sometimes, the difference between a
shop doing pretty good and a shop doing extremely well can be in the quality of customer
service.

Here’s some customer service tips that you should apply if you want customers to keep coming
back:
1) Don’t give customers stock responses
When a customer, or potential customer e-mails you asking something, talk to them! Don’t just
give some automated robotic response to their question. People can tell when they receive an
answer that someone took the time to write or an answer that a robot could have wrote. Read the
message that the customer sent you, and answer every question the customer has. If there is a
case in which you have to start with a template message, address the customer by his/her name,
make variations in the message, and add a little humor so the customer knows that a real person
is behind the message.

2) End the email or call on a high note

Let’s say your telling a customer about a delay in shipping of his product. This problem may or
may not be your fault, but you still have to explain the situation to the customer. You’ll have to
apologize to the customer about the problem, but be careful not to give the “everything’s wrong,
oh no, we failed” impression. Just state the problem in a couple of sentences, but make sure to
end the message or conversation with what you’re doing to fix the problem and a time for when
the problem may be solved.

3) Avoid over compensating for your mistakes.

On the subject of explaining a mistake and problems to customers. Although you’re supposed to
end the email on a high note, don’t give them the world just because you made a small mistake.
Now of course if you did something like ship the wrong shirt to the customer, you should at least
let them return the shirt (free shipping), give them the shirt they wanted and a 10% discount on
the next order. But don’t go all out and give them like 5 free t-shirts for something like that,
because this can have the opposite intended effect, and make the customer think you’re
unprofessional or not worthy of their business. Making up for your mistakes is a good thing,
when done in a reasonable manner.
1. Customer support directly affects retention

Customer retention is absolutely vital for any company. This is because retaining an existing
customer costs significantly less, both in terms of marketing and maintenance, than landing a
new one. Additionally, repeat customers are more likely to spend more money on each purchase.
So, if you want to make sure your profits are hearty and your retention rates are high, you must
provide amazing customer service.

In fact, over 90% of customers who are dissatisfied with your customer service experience will,
rather than telling you if something is wrong and how you can improve it, just not come back.
Therefore, it’s in your best interest to provide consistently high quality support services to help
increase your retention rate and improve your bottom line.

2. Customer Support Impacts Conversion Rates

Your customer’s experience with your support team can directly affect whether or not they
actually carry out a purchase that they set out to make. All too often we see poor support result in
a customer abandoning the purchase. In fact, 78 percent of consumers have bailed on a purchase
that they intended to make because of poor customer service. That means that if you’re not
providing helpful, informative customer service, you risk losing business.

3. It’s really tough to make up for a bad customer experience

Sure, we all make mistakes, but when it comes to customer support, it’s in your best interest not
to make them. Because it takes as many as 12 good experiences for a business to make up for a
lousy one, just one mistake has the ability to drive customers away and cost your business a lot
of cash.

4. Customer support impacts your company’s reputation

Your company’s reputation is everything. A good reputation could be the difference between an
average business and a very successful one. Unfortunately, when it comes to support services,
bad news travels fast and far. In fact, twice as many people hear about a bad customer service
experience than a good one. That means that it’s well worth the trouble to take time to address
any issues that your callers have. It will enhance your company’s reputation, which could lead to
more customers via word of mouth in the future.
5. Quality customer support can help you attract new customers

While it’s true that a tarnished reputation could lead to a loss of customers, it’s also true that a
good customer support reputation could actually attract new business. That means that by
making sure your support services are in tip-top shape, you have the potential to gain new
customers and make more money, just based on word of mouth advertising alone. In fact, three
out of five people say that they’d happily swap companies in search of a better service
experience. Improve your bottom line through retention by providing a good support experience,
but also let your reputation rise and help you bring in new customers too.

6. Quality support may allow you to raise your prices

If you go about it in a careful and gradual way, having really strong customer service may allow
you to actually charge more for your services or products. That’s because most consumers are
willing to spend a little more cash to guarantee that they will receive a quality customer service
experience. If you decide to go this route, you won’t regret it. In fact, 70 percent of U.S.
consumers are willing to spend more money to go with a company who they believe will provide
top-notch customer service. So go ahead and find the sweet spot. Improve your customer support
dramatically and, as you do, experiment with raising your prices a little too.

7. Happy customers spend more

The emotional experience a customer has during an interaction with your company directly
impacts how much money they are willing to spend. In fact, 70% of buying experiences are
based on the emotional experience of the customer and how he or she feels she is being treated.
So by really focusing in on the quality that your support team offers, you can make customers
feel happy and valued, which will directly impact sales.