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Definition
Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. Wikibooks has more about this subject: Marketing In economics and marketing, a service is the non-material equivalent of a good. ...
Its importance varies by product, industry and customer. As an example, an expert customer might require less pre-purchase service (i.e., advice) than a novice customer. In many cases, customer service is more important if the purchase relates to a “service” as opposed to a “product".
Customer service may be provided by a person (e.g., sales and service representative), or by automated means called self-service. Examples of self service are Internet sites.
Customer service is normally an integral part of a company’s customer value proposition. A Customer value proposition (CVP) is the sumtotal of benefits a customer is promised to receive in return for his or her custom and the associated payment (or other value transfer). ...
Implementation of customer service Customer service may be employed to generate such competitive advantage as a particular service proposition can be harder to copy for competitors. In marketing and strategic management, sustainable competitive advantage is an advantage that one firm has relative to competing firms. ...
The implementation of a particular customer service proposition must consider several elements of the organization, including
- culture
- hiring
- training
- incentives
- processes
- support technology
Competitive advantage A company may attempt to differentiate itself from its competition through the provision of better customer service. The consistent delivery of superior service requires the careful design and execution of a whole system of activities that includes people, technology, and processes. Look up company in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...
By the mid 20th century humans had achieved a level of thinking mastery sufficient to leave the surface of the planet for the first time and explore space. ...
Role of technology Technology has made available a wide range of customer service tools. They range from support websites and the ability to have live chats with technical staff to databases tracking individual customers' preferences, pattern of buying, payment methods etc., and tailoring products and service responses based on this advanced data. Specialist software that is designed for the tracking of service levels and for helping recognize areas for improvement are often integrated into other enterprise operational software tools such as ERP software. the various system modules. ...
Accountability Customers tend to be more forgiving of organizations who acknowledge and apologize for their mistakes rather than denying them. Taking responsibility for mistakes and correcting them is considered an important aspect of good customer service.
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Fred Reichheld (undated photograph) Frederick F. Reichheld is a business author and business strategist best known for his research and writing on the loyalty business model. ...
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