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Customer Service Tool: Consistency

It’s the same every time, never changing. Day in and day out, it’s always the same.  Sound boring?  It’s not when it comes to consistency in delivering customer service – especially if it’s good customer service.  It should always be the same.  The customer should be able to count on it. Customer loyalty is based […]

great-customer-serviceIt’s the same every time, never changing. Day in and day out, it’s always the same.  Sound boring?  It’s not when it comes to consistency in delivering customer service – especially if it’s good customer service.  It should always be the same.  The customer should be able to count on it.

Customer loyalty is based on this concept. If you want to build intense customer loyalty, in addition to all of the customer service you deliver, you must also be predictably consistent.

Brand loyalty depends on three interrelated quality service experiences:

  • Brand Loyalty Prerequisite Number One – Product Quality: First and foremost, the product or service has to work.  That’s really no surprise.  If the quality isn’t there, you’re in trouble.
  • Brand Loyalty Prerequisite Number Two – Customer Service: This is about how well you deliver the product or service you sell.  It doesn’t have to be an over-the-top WOW experience. It just needs to be above average – even just a little above average.
  • Brand Loyalty Prerequisite Number Three – Consistency: The customer has to have confidence that one and two will happen.  In other words, there has to be consistency.  Confidence comes when the customer knows what to expect and gets it every time.  Their experience becomes predictable.

All three of these are interrelated.  No matter how good the customer service you provide, if what you sell doesn’t do what it’s supposed to do, the customer will eventually find another place to do business.  And, if the product is great, but the service is lousy, then the customer will eventually find a place that makes them feel better about their purchase.  If there is inconsistency in product quality or customer service, the customer loses confidence because they don’t know what to expect.

Consistency

Consistency doesn’t mean you never have a problem.  It means your customers can count on you if there ever is a problem.  The best companies aren’t perfect.  They make mistakes.  But they are excellent in their recovery.

The bottom line is that inconsistency, mismanaged, causes a lack of confidence.  It’s a loyalty killer.  The opposite, however, is a brand booster.

There was an online review from a customer that did business at an Ace Hardware store in Washington, DC.  What the customer wrote sums up exactly what you want your customers to say about you:

“I want to know how these guys hire their staff.  I’ve been going there for three years, and every single time I’ve been in – about three dozen times – I’ve received excellent customer service.”

Consistency isn’t part-time.  It’s all of the time.  If you want to create customer loyalty, you must… Amaze Every Customer Every Time.

Shep Hyken is a customer service/CX expert, award-winning keynote speaker, and New York Times bestselling author. Learn more about Shep’s customer service and customer experience keynote speeches and his customer service training workshops at www.Hyken.com. Connect with Shep on LinkedIn.

(Copyright ©MMXII, Shep Hyken)

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