Customer Service Is More Important Than Ever

We all know the value of good customer service; making customers feel like they matter. That’s hardly groundbreaking stuff. I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know.

So why do so many businesses still get it wrong?

We’ve all got stories of poor customer service, good customer service, and those rare occasions where it’s so exceptional you tell other people about it afterwards. I’m not going to fill this blog with my own anecdotes because you’ll have plenty of your own.

The reason I’m writing this on a Bank Holiday Monday is because something made me stop and think.

I drove past a business that was closed when it is a business in an industry that should be open and cashing in on a bank holiday. Now, before I go any further, there could be countless reasons for that. Staffing issues, family commitments, illness, wanting a day off; all entirely understandable.

But it made me reflect on something broader: expectations. Customers build expectations of businesses, and businesses build reputations, often without even realising it.

That got me thinking about customer service and how, despite all the advances in technology, marketing, automation and AI, the basics still matter more than ever: the smile, the hello, eye contact, a genuine thank you, the acknowledgement that someone has chosen to spend their hard-earned money with you instead of somewhere else.

I’ve encountered businesses where customer service isn’t poor; it’s simply absent. No warmth, no engagement, no sense that your custom is valued. And I always wonder whether owners realise. Because customers notice. Maybe not even consciously every time, but they notice.

People return to places where they feel welcome. People recommend businesses where they’ve been treated well. And people quietly drift away from businesses where they haven’t.

That’s the dangerous thing about poor customer service. Customers often don’t complain. They just don’t come back. They vote with their feet.

What surprises me is how often businesses obsess over growth while neglecting retention. They’ll spend money on advertising, social media campaigns, websites, SEO and promotions to attract new customers, all while forgetting that keeping an existing customer happy is usually far easier than finding a new one.

Repeat business doesn’t happen by accident. Recommendations don’t happen by accident. Loyalty certainly doesn’t happen by accident.

It’s built slowly; interaction by interaction, email by email, phone call by phone call. Sometimes it’s built in moments so small the business owner won’t even notice them. Answering promptly, being flexible, remembering somebody’s name, sorting a problem out quickly instead of arguing, owning a mistake.

I think customers are also more aware than ever of how businesses make them feel because spending money has become more considered. People work hard for what they earn. They want value, yes, but they also want to feel appreciated.

That doesn’t mean rolling out a red carpet. It doesn’t mean pretending every customer is your best friend. It just means treating people properly.

I’ve always believed that if someone has chosen to spend money with me, whether for a holiday, a short break or anything else, then they deserve appreciation. Not because it improves profit margins. Not because it creates loyalty. Simply because it’s decent.

The loyalty and repeat business tend to follow afterwards.

I’ve spent years building businesses, including the last 17 years developing Woodfarm, and one thing I pride myself on is customer service. I’ve built a reputation on it.

And yes, before anyone asks, I’ve also purchased yachts, helicopters, Caribbean islands and Lamborghinis off the back of it.

I haven’t, obviously.

But I have built a business over the last 17 years where customers return, recommend us to friends, and trust us enough to come back year after year. That matters more to me than the material stuff.

Not because exceptional customer service is some clever strategy or sales tactic, but because, for me, it’s simply how people should behave.

Be polite, smile, reply promptly, say thank you, care, or at the very least, show people they matter. And it is FREE to dish it out!

Businesses spend fortunes attracting new customers while sometimes overlooking the people already standing in front of them. The irony is that outstanding customer service remains one of the cheapest and most effective forms of marketing available.

People forget prices. They forget offers. They even forget specifics. But they remember how you made them feel.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again:

It ain’t rocket science.