Customer Service

Several times there is something quite unique that is much more important for a successful business than the location of a company, the product that is sold, or the price that is offered. This very crucial part is known as customer service. It can either make a company a cut above the rest or possibly lead to its downfall.

In the past, it seemed that a lot of workers used to go out of their way to please each one of their customers. For example, when consumers visited petrol stations several years ago they would have their gas tanks filled, oil checked and windshield cleaned. Now, though, these same people are lucky if they do not have to do all of the chores by themselves. Also, when citizens needed groceries many years ago they were sometimes delivered to their house. Or, if they went to the supermarket then the items were put in bags and carried to their cars for them. However, those days are over now as many places just tally the cost that you should pay before leaving. Although customer service has been deteriorating in some ways lately, in other ways through technology it has also been improving quite a lot. For instance, an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) allows people to withdraw or deposit money 24/7. In addition, people no longer have to always go into a restaurant to order their meal. Now drive-thru windows provide much more convenience for customers. Efficient customer service might honestly be for the real and sincere pleasure of helping others. However, the true motives might actually be to receive some more business through repeat customers and word of mouth. Whatever the case, the service should be great and the customers must not take it for granted as they appreciate the effort. a cut above the rest = better than average, better than the rest chores = regular and routine tasks (e.g., washing the dishes) crucial = extremely important, because it will affect other things deteriorating = decreasing in quality, becoming worse downfall = loss of success, failure drive-thru = denoting a restaurant or other facility in which one can be served without leaving one's car go out of their way = inconvenience themselves, really try hard repeat customers = customers who return and want to do more business take it for granted = to never think about something because you believe it will always be available or stay exactly the same tally = count, add together to reach a total teller = a person who works in a bank, receiving and paying out money from and to customers withdraw or deposit = put in or take out word of mouth = information being spread by people talking to each other See also Labor Unions Salary Gap Workplace Discrimination