Customer service enables businesses to create valuable relationships with customers and suppliers alike.
The communications made between a business and their customers are the underpinning of their success. If the relationships between business and customer/client are hampered in any way at all; then this could ultimately be damaging for the business.
However, what does customer service look like in a modern world, in 2023 and how have things changed throughout history?
Traditional industries (before the industrial revolution) would often sell direct to their customers and generations of families would rely on in built customer relationships to support their ongoing supply chains.
Whether it be bread or clothing, horseshoes or a new roof people simply spoke to other people, communicated their needs directly and worked in harmonious supplier/customer relationship. Home deliveries of milk and other commodities were also commonplace because traditional village life meant entire communities relied upon and supported each other.
During the industrial revolution when thousands of UK workers flocked to the growing cities the independent baker’s, butchers and farmers who were used to selling directly to the residents of rural villages suddenly had competition. Inner cities began to attract shop owners and business entities which were now vying for a different consumer audience – the industrialised age had arrived.
As part of the industrialisation of the UK and the growth of cities, houses were built in vast rows attracting a new workforce, hungry for change and with it a new breed of supplier – the corner shop owner.
Corner shops were originally built to supply the very basics to the ever-growing city populations and the bakers, butchers and dairy farmers alike suddenly had a new way to sell their wares. With this new way of shopping came a new form of customer service. Whereas shop owners in rural villages had a small and niche customer base all of a sudden, the ‘Corner Shop Owner’ had hundreds of customers and all seeking the same level of service.
The ‘customer service’ supplied at the corner shop became an important social hub for expanding neighbourhoods and corner shop owners would know names, dates of births and generations of families as they all sought out their services.
However, communities are no longer small and intimate societies. Along with this, the ability for communities to hold on to the traditions of the past struggle under the weight of progress and with it the communications between consumers and businesses have changed.
Progress throughout the 1960’s-1990’s saw intimate greengrocers and artisan suppliers be swallowed up by vast supermarkets and the momentary chats at the hand operated tills vanished. Supermarkets became under such pressure to get shopping tallied up, in bags and away the conversation all but disappeared.
So, what does customer service look like today? Are you still welcomed at your consumer establishment with a welcome “hello” or an enquiry about how you might be on that day? It really does depend on where you are and who is working that day.
I have been in consumer-based environments in the past few years whereby I have literally been ignored by the person serving me while they chatted away with a colleague. I have heard friends and family speak about the poor-quality customer service they have received not only in consumer-based environments, but restaurants, hotels, places of interest and of course over the telephone and online.
The relationships company or brand employees build with the customers they serve whether in a shop or a corporate law firm are one of the most valuable assets of the company they work for. At the end of the day whomever you speak with in whatever setting, if they do not assist and or support your needs in a way which is helpful, polite, and efficient it will harm the impression you have of that particular business.
With the ability to broadcast to the world online about your customer service experiences, poor reviews can be damaging if the same reports appear time and again.
Although some companies have resorted to AI to assist with online and telephone customer service, there is still a huge benefit from interpersonal customer service and how this not only builds relationships but can also highlight a brands commitment to its consumer base.
Written by Katy-Jane Mason on behalf of Virtually Smart Ltd
