Customer Service is the #1 Key to Business Longevity

Nowadays, you hear a lot about what is the key to a successful business. Many will talk about fulfilling a need, offering a quality product, or effective marketing. These are all good points, and definitely necessary for a business to grow, but they overlook a crucial component: customer service. Admittedly, I have seen people mention that it is one of several keys and it gets a small blurb in an article (like here, here, here, and there), but I feel they fail to grasp how important it truly is.

Think about it, would you do business with someone with poor customer service? Would you want to hire someone that puts you on the back burner? That treats you like an inconvenience? I don’t care how good someone’s product or service is, I don’t want to work with a company that has or is known to have poor customer service. I’m sure many of you would agree (consumers in the audience, please feel free to chime in with your thoughts in the comments). Whether you’re B2B or catering to the general public, how you treat your customers or clients is going to play a huge role in how long you stay in business.

Customer service is more than treating customers well when they have a complaint, though that is an important part. Good customer service begins from the first interaction; it means ensuring your customer or client’s needs are met. It means listening first, asking questions as needed, and finding how you can best serve them. Above all, treat the customer like a person, not your next paycheck. They know and appreciate the difference; that’s the easiest way to make your company stand out from your competition!

I wouldn’t dare say that you don’t need to worry about marketing or advertising (you do), or that offering a good product or service isn’t necessary (because, of course it is!), but attracting new customers alone won’t keep you afloat forever. It’s completely, absolutely, 100% percent necessary to retain existing customers. And hey, if they help advertise and endorse you, that’s even better!

Did I overlook anything? Do you have a differing opinion or want to expand upon what I posted? Please feel free to comment and let us know what’s on your mind. You can learn more about the Better Business Bureau or find the kind of businesses you want to hire at bbb.org.