Dear Business Owner, does your after-sales service bolster or butcher your selling efforts? I’m assuming here you have an after sales service. And if you don’t, keep reading. And if you do, is your after sales service as effective as your sales service? Or, do your customers suddenly become children of a lesser god once they’ve bought? If you are a business owner, these are not idle questions especially with the 21st Century customer. After sales service benefits abound.
The critical role of after-sales service
After-sales service is a critical component of the overall customer experience, and it can significantly impact customer loyalty, repeat business, and brand reputation. These are among many other after sales service benefits.
Now then. Salespeople are motivated to close the sale. Their survival depends on it. The more if they are commission based. Businesses typically work hard to make their processes as purchase-friendly as possible. (Yes, I’m aware there are those businesses whose processes impede the sale, and that’s addressed here). Irrespective though, the question begs, does your after sales service facilitate or frustrate you sales service?
A tale of two after-sales services
The Grooming Product Saga
If you are selling grooming products like shaving machines, for instance, likely your sales service fires from all pistons. Your responses to WhatsApp, email and all social media handles are almost instant. Complete with images, links and video calls where necessary. You even organize delivery with this parting chat: “The rider is on the way. Please let us know once you receive the nose trimmer and make sure to test it if you can.” The customer does so in the affirmative, for both. “Thank you. Please remember that the trimmer comes with two year’s warranty.” All’s sugar, spice and all things nice.
Until one day four months later, a chat pops up on your WhatsApp: “Hi! The trimmer is suddenly not working. What could be the problem?” Blue ticks follow. The loud silence continues. 24 hours later the customer sends a waving hand emoji reminder. And a detached chat follows: “Drop off the trimmer at our offices. (PIN attached)” No apologies for delayed response; no warmth; no relationship, purely transactional. A week later the customer texts: “Please share progress on the repair.” Silence follows.
A day later the customer sends three waving hand emojis, and the detached response reads: “We shall be sending the trimmer for repair today.” When do I expect it? “We will let you know. It’s all under warranty so it is free.” (Can you interpret that any other way than to mean, “You’re not paying for this service so be quiet”?) Long story short, even if the customer does finally get the repaired trimmer, sugar, spice and all things nice has turned into sour, ice, and all things vice. Do you suppose he is still your diehard advocate? I don’t. A cold after sales service has frozen both your sales efforts now and future ones. Among after sales service benefits is getting referrals from wowed customers.
The detergent debacle – After sales service benefits
Compare that after sales service with this one we had shared here. “This detergent is a scam,” so the Facebook post screamed. “(Name of company) dilute their detergent. I bought it at (name of supermarket) and see what it’s done to my clothes.” (Video attached). This actually happened, one Sunday afternoon. Quite impressively the seller (manufacturer) in question responded within the hour apologizing profusely and promising to collect and replace the offending product. “Please text us your number on (number shared). We will call and arrange this.” They did. In style.
Not only did they come by the following day, Monday, to collect, they arrived with a gift hamper with the detergent being only one among many other of their products. And you can guess what the customer’s next post read. Yes, it was a caption of her selfie with the hamper extolling the manufacturer. ‘Sinner’ had turned saint. Sceptic had become loyal customer.
The hidden power of after-sales service
After-sales service is not just an add-on to the selling process; it is an integral part of the customer journey that can significantly impact your business’s success. By investing in excellent after-sales service, you not only enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty but also differentiate your brand in a competitive market.
Start your sale with after-sales service
If you are a business owner, the effectiveness of your after-sales service can make or break your business relationships. Reap after sales service benefits. Shift your perspective and treat after-sales service with the same priority as your sales process. Treat it as if your sale starts there – as it does, say, with a bank. This is what I mean. Getting the prospect to open an unfunded bank account is a partial close. It’s when its funded (putting money in it) that the close is conclusive.
Now then. The same happens with a travel agent that onboards a corporate client. All you have is a contract – until the client makes the first booking, it’s just a piece of paper. Just as with the bank account, actualising it makes the sale, and immediately begins the after-sale. And sustaining the business now hinges on the quality of your after-sales service. So, are you ready to transform your after-sales service into a powerful tool for customer retention and business growth?
Read: Big brand name not automatic selling advantage
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