The satisfied customer service experience builds branding
Customers experience and perceive customer service in many different ways. Whenever a customer walks
away from an experience with company feeling satisfied, that company should delight in the fact that they met the customers expectations and provided great customer service. Understanding that customer service, customer satisfaction and meeting or exceeding customer expectations are all linked together, should be at the forefront of any companies customer service strategy. It really is about the customer experience and the journey that customer takes with them interacting with your organization.
How often does this happen? A customers walk into a store looking for a product to buy and can't find the item. One of the first thing the customers usually does is look for a store employee to help them on our way. The customers expectation is that if they can't find the product within a few minutes there will be an employee to assist them. As the customer looks for a store employee to help them, and can't find an employee, they become frustrated. Their first expectation is not met.
Upon finding a store employee, after several minutes of looking, the customer asks where the item can be found. The employee indicates the location and then walks away. From the customers perspective, their expectation was again not met, as the customer thought the store employee would help them find that item. When that expectation was not met, the customer again becomes frustrated. The customers second expectation is not met.

With the limited information provided the customer proceeds toward the location indicated, and searches in vain for around 5-10 minutes without success. At this point, the customer can continue looking, find another store employee to assist (if there is one around), or just stop looking and leave the store (which is the case in many situations). By now, the customer experience is one of frustration with the company, the employees at the store, and the manner of service delivered.
Outstanding customer service is one of the key area where companies truly have control over the customer experience. Companies need to implement customer service strategies that focus on the customer journey from beginning to end. Companies that look at the customer journey though the customers lens are better able to map out the experience and see where gaps are in improving the delivery of service.
Having a customer service strategy that focus on customer expectations, metrics, standards, branding and training eliminate or minimize customer service issues and challenges that arise.
For example, had the company instituted polices and procedures that focused on greeting customers at the door to see if they needed any assistance, providing assistance, if needed, by walking them to the location of the store where they could find their item, and then asking them if they needed any further assistance, the customer would have felt their needs were met.
Understanding and listening to the voice of the customer (VoC) is one of the first step to implementing outstanding customer service in your organization.