Customer service often comes across as patronising; arrogant; disinterested; rude; indifferent; bored; and a general lack of care. This creates a really bad customer experience and damages customer loyalty.

In South Africa the chances are this is how you are treated when phoning a large company. Their customer service message is simple:

We have so many clients that you don’t count. And yes, we can afford to lose you.

You have no loyalty to this company (and their customer loyalty score sucks) and your motive now becomes destructive – you will tell everyone you know how bad the company is. You will also move to a new service provider when it suits you.

Yet we are all customers of someone. Ironically the same staff get the same treatment they dish out. Perhaps the easiest way to solve poor customer service is to ask those staff:

How would you like to be treated?

I can guarantee no-one wants a patronising; arrogant; disinterested; rude; indifferent; bored; and a general lack of care customer service person dealing with their problem.

When we say business is about relationships maybe it’s time to be human again. To really focus on the relationship and ask a very simple question:

Treat others as you want to be treated.

Make this your golden rule when it comes to creating customer loyalty and you can’t go wrong. I am sure that this may have a spin off effect of appealing to your staffs deeper desires and aspirations. You may just be very surprised to see what happens.