CSDP's Blog:

Customer Service is ultimately more important than sales. We’ll state that right from the beginning because we truly believe that. Why is it more important? Because you need to retain customers, of course! It costs less to retain a customer (utilizing the services of customer service reps) than to acquire a new one (services from salespeople).

It also helps to build up your name. If you have a fabulous reputation, people are going to come to you first when they need your products/services, instead of going somewhere else that they’ve never heard of. That’s just the way it is!

So who are the unsung heroes of customer retention? Customer Service People! The unfortunate thing is that customer service reps who work so hard usually don’t ever get the recognition they deserve. If a salesperson lands a huge account, there’s a celebration! A big pat on the back, congratulations from the boss, perhaps even a little bonus for their efforts. When customers come back year after year with all sorts of problems, big and small, and the customer service people do everything they can to make that customer very happy so that they keep coming back, there’s no celebration for the customer service people.

Some can argue that it’s difficult to nab the initial sale, and I agree. It takes a lot of persuasion and persistence. However, isn’t it even trickier to convince the customer to stay with you after they’ve run into a few problems? Patience and diligence don’t even begin to describe the requirements necessary to keep the customer coming back. So, in simple terms, sales reps get the product sold the first time, while customer service reps are the ones that keep the customer coming back…

So as an employer, treat your customer service reps right! Wouldn’t you agree?