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Customer Service Means a Lot
Published on 09/04/07
by John Phillips
Ever since becoming a designer and have clients, I am more and more realizing the importance of customer service. I pay attention to it a lot, since it is my job to know how companies maintain their brand/identity. I look at companies like Apple, from a global scale, from what I see on tv, all the way down to how I am treated from sales people when I walk into an Apple store. And their brand is executed with [almost] perfection on all levels.
What is interesting to pay attention to, is when I go shopping, I notice differences in the way that I’m treated in different stores. Like, when I go in the Burberry store, they treat me quite well. If I want to try stuff on, the sales person is scouring round and round to make sure that they find that perfect fit for me. It actually feels pretty damn good to be catered to like that, and for that reason alone, I will always like going into that store.
On another level, I’ll go into Old Navy, and it’s completely different. Someone might ask me if I need help. They don’t treat you the same. Now, of course there are drastic pricing difference between Burberry and Old Navy, but after some research…….Old Navy/Gap pulls is billions of dollars in annual revenue, where as, Burberry is just tapping the early hundred million dollar range. So, wouldn’t you think that the bigger company would treat their customers better, since they probably have more resources to do so?
I don’t know, just something that crossed my mind. Verizon is another example. Last week, Kell and I were in the Verizon store and were there for over 2 hours trying to fix things with our accounts. The people helping us were mad patient, and did what they could to help us out. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t impressed with their patience, which I told them numerous times. To me, that says a lot about the company.
For the most part, sales people don’t seem to get these types of jobs with the overall company brand in mind, which I wouldn’t expect them to. They just want the paycheck. But for the people that do pay attention to the overall picture of a company and it’s workers, like myself, it means alot. And good customer service alone will always keep me going back to a store because it’s worth it. I like being treated well….so that’s just my two cents.
Peace