At your service

My comment in the magazine this month is a somewhat cynical view of the levels of customer service that we all receive as consumers.

It's a thorny subject that is indeed open to interpretation but in everyday life, how many of us can genuinely count the number of times we've been bowled over by excellent customer service on more than one hand? Whether it's having to wait excessively long to receive a meal in a restaurant that eventually turns up cold, or sitting on the phone in an infuriating queue trying to sort out a broadband problem at home, poor customer service is something that can test the patience of even the calmest of individuals. On the broadband issue, I do know someone who was without her internet connection or phone line for three months - and that was with a so-called reputable provider. Despite literally dozens of phone calls (from her mobile at her expense) trying to sort out the problem, her relative inexperience in these matters was disgracefully exploited by the company to the point where it became farcical - and yet this company claims that excellent customer service is a priority. Hmm!

At it's most basic level, the definition of quality is 'conformance to requirements' but with many organisations it seems once they've got your hard earned reddies, things start to go a bit pear-shaped. My honest view with manufacturing companies is that they simply wouldn't survive relying entirely on product quality - which is why for many, aftersales support and service is every bit as important as the product itself. For end users, buying a machine tool, CMM, end mill or CAD/CAM package is only part of the story - the real value is found after the sale. That's when engineering support, and years of experience and expertise can really pay dividends. Today it's all about not only delivering on product, but also delivering on service and building longstanding relationships. It's about going the extra mile for your customers.

Whenever I'm carrying out an interview with a managing director of a company for example, I always ask the question: "So what differentiates you from the competition?" In every case without fail the response I get is always customer service. I never have the heart to tell the individual that everyone else says the same thing, but it does demonstrate just how important it is to UK manufacturers. It's a shame not everyone has the same values in other walks of life.