Why customer service matters

Good customer service is essential to the success of any business. PHOTO BY ABUBAKER LUBOWA

What you need to know:

Customer service is more important than ever. Any business can get the best out of its investment if, among other things, there is good customer service. Martin M Lwanga expounds on how businesses can improve their customer service to earn a return on their investment.

The competition was rather intense in the lucrative coffee beverage industry. Numerous coffee shops had opened up in the upscale neighbourhood offerings cafe lattes, mocas, and cappuccinos. Coffee taking had become a hype especially among young people who loved to hang out in coffee bars with laptops hooked on wifi. But they seemed not to take to Winners Coffee Shop which was on the verge of closing due to failure to make ends.
Atandika the founder was also up in debt. He could not figure out why his cafe had failed to take off having invested in it heavily. He knew there was competition but the market was large enough, he thought. He looked around for a manager and spotted a young business graduate with a major in marketing called Mwangu.

The first thing Mwangu did was to carry out a research why Winner’s was not prospering. He found the location was good and patrons loved the taste of Winners coffee. But many complained of poor customer service. Few, if any of staff, seemed to greet customers with a pleasant welcome smile. Service was at snail pace. Orders were often forgotten or misdirected. The bathroom remained unchecked for hours and without rolls. Staff were demotivated from low salaries that often came late. They didn’t talk to each other nicely. There was high turnover. At the same time, there was no effort to retain customers and once a customer walked out it seemed no one expected him or her back.

Invest in customer service
Mwangu walked up to Atandika and told him that to turn around Winners, he needed to invest heavily in customer service. “What do you mean?” Atandika expressed surprise as he thought maybe he needed to buy better food equipment.
“Even if you if you get the best equipment without customer service, it will all come to naught,” Mwangu advised.
Mwangu was given free reign and he quickly instituted a customer service programme. All staff were taken through two-day training in customer service. They were given uniforms and name tags. High emphasis was placed on maintaining cleanliness. Customers had to be greeted with warmth and immediately provided seats.

The kitchen staff was also trained in food order management with emphasis on time. Staff were given incentives based on how quickly they met an order and customers volunteered positive feedback. Teamwork was emphasised and those unable to yield were let go.
After a brief while, customers came; those who came did not want to leave; and even then, had to come back. A promotion programme offered a free mug after five consecutive visits. Customers could see staff were genuinely happy with their jobs. Winners easily became the choice cafe and quickly came to dominate the market.

Causes of failure
One of the commonest cause of business failure in retail is poor customer service. About 2000, a Ugandan based fast food, was a struggling joint on the verge of collapse.
The owner was quick to concede that his greatest area of need was in customer service. Like Mwangu, he invested heavily in customer service and today, it is one of the most successful fast foods on the Uganda market.

Standards
Setting standards in customer service really matters. These have to be set throughout the business operation: reception, hygiene, feedback and apparel. With standards, the business has checks and balances to ensure its customer programmes run like a well-oiled machine. Equally important is staff motivation. When internal staff is neglected, they cannot offer good customer service.

The writer is the Dean of the Faculty of Business and Administration at Uganda Christian University, Mukono.
E- mail: [email protected]