Competing with Virtual Service

There was a time not so long ago that potential customers could not gain the information they needed about a particular business without contacting the company. Prospective clients would walk up to a friendly sales person or call a customer service agent, asking for data about the product or service in need.

The advent of the Internet has made this type of behavior all but obsolete. If a prospective customer has a question about a product, he or she can search the web and find a host of web sites that provide the all the details they seek and more, no matter what the product may be. They can find reviews from other customers, some honest, and some written by paid professionals. They can also find pricing information for any product or service imaginable; with said items often available at rock bottom prices on auction web sites or through Internet wholesalers. Indeed, the time of seeking out customer service representatives or sales agents for product information is over.

How, then, can a CSR compete with the virtual world? The solution is plain to anyone who has spent hours pouring through endless web pages seeking answers to specific questions, or anyone who has wasted valuable time on hold with automated telephone systems. A personal touch and true human communication can make all the difference when speaking with a person who has, until the point they have spoken with you, only developed a relationship with technology. It is within humans as a species to desire connections with each other, and as the Information Age has given us access to more data and facts than we have ever been presented with before, it has also driven us from what makes us human: our relationships with others.

It may be difficult for customer service representatives and sales agents to embark upon a relationship with a new or prospective customer. As products of the Information Age, these persons have been taught to supply individuals with the simplest answers to their queries and to close sales as quickly as possible. While a closed sale is the clearly the objective of the agent/customer relationship, those who are at their best professionally know that developing a long-lasting connection is the hallmark of success; not only do these agents close the sale, but they gain repeat business as well. The most important factor when conversing with customers is to remember humanity. Do not treat customers like machines and they will reward you with a personal commitment.

Customer service training and sales training is offered to businesses of all sizes and from all industries through Molloy Business Development Group, LLC.