In today’s volatile economy, providing excellent customer
service can be the critical difference between a company’s
success and failure. Customers today are better educated
than ever before. They are increasingly careful about
purchases and the dollars they spend and want value for
their money. Customers also want good service and are
willing to pay for it. The level of courtesy and assistance
required from a customer service representative has
increased dramatically over the past decade as a result of
the customer’s upgraded “acceptable” service standards;
more skills are required, such as telephone courtesy and
assistance, effective telemarketing skills, customer retention,
problem-solving capabilities, maintaining customer
satisfaction, and effective use of available technology. As a
result, companies in various industries are induced to
provide distinguished customer service in order to remain
competitive. Learning is taking on strategic importance.
Demand for customer service training is higher than ever
before. Such extraordinary commitment can be elicited
only in the context of a corporate culture that emphasizes
caring about employees and sharing of the service ethic by
everyone in the organization – starting with the CEO. A
business which offers not just the bare-bones basics but
exceptional, value-amplified service, which anticipates
and caters to a whole range of customer needs and
desires, sets itself far above the competition.