Farmer's Weekly (South Africa)
The customer is king!
The topic of customer service is often explored and discussed. But its importance cannot be over-emphasised. If customer service is not a priority, the business is heading for trouble.
Market agents, market owners and their staff are no exception, and all need to revisit their customer service levels regularly.
It’s an imperfect world, and there are people in these groups who make the effort and others who don’t seem to care.
the core of a business’s financial troubles
Many businesses pay only lip service to the concept of keeping their customers happy, and fail to notice when they are dissatisfied. Look closely at any one of these operations and I’d wager you’d find a business that’s slowly dying. Worse, the chances are that management don’t realise that poor customer service is at the heart of their problems. Instead, they’ll point to any number of other reasons why the business is not performing well.
These might be valid, but all too often these problems manifest themselves through dissatisfied customers, which is why it’s crucial for management to notice this and pick up the danger signs.
Smoke and mirrors
Put another way, poor customer service is probably not the only cause of the downward drift. There are invariably other factors, and each would require its own remedy. But if customer service is not re-allocated as a number one priority, it’s doubtful these other remedies will save the business. It is for each market agency or market authority to determine how it will address its customer service requirements. But often the temptation for some is to put on a ‘smoke and mirrors’ show, which can have no lasting value.
Lead by example
The way to improve customer service is to lead by example. It should start with senior management setting that example and ensuring that it passes down to the lowest levels of staff.
It will require a change of mindset for everybody, but it’s essential, because every business needs happy customers to survive, regardless of the quality of its products or the competitiveness of its pricing.
• Michael Cordes is an agricultural journalist, consultant, trainer and former farmer. Email him at farmersweekly@caxton.co.za. Subject line: Market floor.