Amanda Walters 2m 495
The views of this article are the perspective of the author and may not be reflective of Confessions of the Professions.
Customer service is the key area of business for most companies. Simply put, meeting the demand of the customer can be the difference between a successful company and one that fails. Without customers, most businesses would be unable to function. There would be no demand for the service or product offered by the company, cutting out the main source of revenue for that business.
However, actually managing to carry out customer demand to satisfactory level is not always as simple as it sounds. Here are some of the best ways to meet customer demand.
The right product
Without the right product, all other areas of customer service are academic. In order for a business to have custom, they first need to offer a service or product for which there is demand. A company must consider several things when devising a product or service. These include cost, location and promotion. The product or service must be fit for purpose and must be financially feasible for a company. A company can ascertain whether or not there would be demand for the product in the first place by carrying out market research.
Organising Work Order
A company will often receive a work order from a customer requesting a product or service. To successfully meet customer demand, it is vital to carry out this request.
A way to efficiently process a work order is to use work order management software, which can be a very useful tool when trying to organise your workload. It is also important to respond quickly to a work order, which requires having the right employees handling the right job. For this, service scheduling software can be very helpful.
Stock
Even with an in-demand product or service, and a well-oiled work order system, a company can still fail to meet customer demand if they do not have sufficient levels of stock. It is important that a company has enough depth to deal with requests for a popular product or a sufficient number of staff able to offer a service. It is also important not to overstock a product, as this can also lead to a company losing money.
A company can make an informed decision on stock levels required by checking past sales data.
Identifying customer expectations
Without knowing what is expected of them, it can be difficult for a company to please a customer. For this reason it is vital to identify customer expectations. Common expectations include a fast and accurate service. Typically service is also expected to be friendly and helpful, with staff providing information to a customer and responding promptly to queries. The product or service should also meet quality expectations, while the facility or website of a company should be easy to navigate. Beyond these basic expectations, a company can offer customers a questionnaire to fill out to further understand individual needs.
About the Author
The author, Amanda Walters, is an experienced freelance writer and regular contributor to the Huffington Post.
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