Your Good Service May Not Be Good Enough

Let me guess -- your customer service is one of the key differentiators between you and those lazy, uncaring competitors of yours. Right? Or maybe you pay more attention to the needs of your customers than your competition does. Here's some advice: don't use either of these statements when pitching a new client. I guarantee you that even those lazy, uncaring competitors are saying the same thing. Instead, prove it. Use anecdotes, statistics, or something that quantifies your good service or explains how you helped a customer earn more by really understanding its needs.

Customer service has been on the top of my mind lately since my family and I recently moved into a new home. As anyone knows, the moving process exposes us to one of the worst violators of customer service -- cable companies. After all, who expects the cable guy to show up on time? Shockingly, mine did, and he was exceptionally polite and helpful. So was the CSR (customer service rep) I spoke with to schedule the appointment. The phone company, on the other hand, was a nightmare. Not only did I continually have to wade through a maze of phone prompts to finally reach a real live person, the CSRs I spoke with were clueless as to why my DSL service didn't work.

Why mention these two stories? Because each has a lesson to be learned about service. The demeanor and professional attitude of the cable guy gave me a positive image of my cable company and even made me feel like I made the right choice between satellite and cable. That positive attitude continued even after I learned I had to switch to a more expensive cable modem for an Internet connection. (The geniuses at the phone company determined after five days that DSL service was not available for my phone line.) Now, when someone asks me about which Internet service I prefer, I say cable.

I don't need to tell you how crucial good service is these days for POS VARs. If you offer 24/7 phone support, make sure the person you have answering these calls has the wits to solve any problem. If training is your service area of expertise, offer it at the client's location or, if available, at your office. Although, if you conduct training at the client's location you have a better chance of uncovering some other problem that you can help resolve. For hardware repair services, offer a hot-swap program that includes providing the customer with replacement equipment within 24 hours. For instance, on page six is an article about Retail Data Systems (RDS), which has been rolling out POS systems for a grocery chain for the past few years. As part of RDS' depot repair service, the VAR ships new receipt printers overnight for arrival by 10 a.m. the next day.

Installation services for POS equipment are often a one-time source of revenue. Conversely, maintenance, upgrades, training, and repair services are what will endear you to your clients and provide you with revenue well beyond that first installation.

Good service means something different to everyone. Thus, make sure you're providing your clients' definition of good service even if it differs from your own. And if you need an example of what not to do, e-mail me and I'll give you my phone company's number.