Image for No Time To Slack Off Customer Service Post - box-of-cupcakes-1066827_1920It’s no secret that retail businesses are struggling these days.  With so many 24/7 choices available to the customer at any given time, it’s hard for a retail shop to stand out from the crowd.  Today’s customer can buy in the middle of the night, from her iPhone, from a company located in Australia.

Product is only the starting point for a retail company.  The thing that will make that product stand out and be found is customer service, according to this article.

Recent studies show that customers are saying their experiences are more important to them today than they were just a year ago.  A full 97 percent are saying that customer service is an important factor in where they choose to shop and in their loyalty to the brand. Two-thirds of shoppers have stopped doing business with a particular brand because of one poor customer service experience.

Those are daunting numbers.

The economy has picked up. Consumers are spending again. However, early numbers seem to indicate that businesses are slacking off in customer service.  Now that each and every penny coming in the door is not as important, customer service may be taking a back seat.

Now is not the time to take a back seat.

Now is the time to double-down on customer service by being pro-active: What do the customers want now? Find out what it is and then provide it, above and beyond what they might be expecting.