The Importance of Customer Service in Marketing

importance of customer service

One of the biggest mistakes you can do as a marketer is to overlook the importance of customer service. Sadly, we all do it at one point or another. This happens as we get “too focused” on the “important” aspects of marketing.

If you want to take your business to a higher level, you have two options: either decrease costs or increase sales. And if you think about marketing, common sense tells you that it can only increase sales. But, what if I told you that you can both decrease costs and increase sales. And you can do this by focusing on a single aspect of your marketing strategy – customer service?

Yes, customer service IS a part of your marketing operations, whether you’re aware of it or not. And, it’s a vital one. Consumers discuss customer service a lot. So, your ads, content and other marketing tools can lose their value very quickly if you fail to provide exceptional customer service.  

Apart from the power that word of mouth has on customer acquisition, your service has a direct influence on the satisfaction of current customers. And the rough numbers say that it costs between 4 and 10 times more to acquire a new customer than it does to keep an existing one; There’s a 60-70 percent chance that an existing customer makes a purchase. Meanwhile, the probability that a new customer will make a purchase is only at 5-20 percent.

Good customer service can save you money. Now that I’m sure I have your attention, I would like to tell you some other reasons why customer service is important in marketing.

customer service in marketing

Why you should treat customer service as a vital part of your marketing plan

I’ll start with a very important reminder – consumers buy from people they like. They need to build a personal relationship with your business so they can trust you. Whatever it is that you’re selling through marketing, you need to deliver it through quality customer service, too.

1. It helps you stand out

In today’s open and competitive marketplace, the hardest job for a marketer is differentiating their business from the competition. In the pile of offers, consumers turn to the ones that give the most value for the price – the ultimate experience. Moreover, studies show that customer service is far more important than price for the majority of consumers. If you can show them their needs are valued, they will be willing to pay more.

Not only will this experience keep customers interested and loyal, but it will turn them into great brand advocates, too. They’ll start talking about it and spark recommendations wherever they go. You have to admit there’s no other marketing tool that can have such a major impact. If you want your offer to be the first choice for prospects, make customer service a priority in your marketing efforts.

2. It prevents crisis

More than 75% of buying decisions are based on reviews, and customers talk about a bad experience much more than you think. Thanks to social media, one bad review can quickly escalate into a crisis that is impossible to handle.

But, PR pros claim that it’s better to receive an ear-full of complaints than to let unsatisfied customers go away silently. There are 2 reasons for this. First, complaints give you direct insight into the things you can improve. Second, if the complaints are public, you can turn them around into a win-win situation with smart customer service. If you don’t encourage your customers to share their thoughts, you will never know what they say about your brand to others.

customer service prevents crisis

3. It lets you get to know your customers

Your customer service team spends the most time with your customers. So they know them better than anyone else in your company. They gain insights into the thoughts, needs, and concerns of customers. Therefore, your customer handling team has all the information you need to understand and develop buyer personas.

As soon as you have a clear representation of your ideal customers, you’ll see how your business and marketing efforts can become more fruitful. You’ll have more focused analytics, better quality leads, and more successful product development. Knowing what your customers want will help you deliver it to them. Don’t just ask for statistics. Join your marketing and customer service forces to truly “get” the people you are selling to.

4. It helps you craft irresistible campaigns

Aside from the information about the profile of your ideal customers, your customer service team knows how people use your products and services. You may be surprised by the extent to which it doesn’t line up with the way you are marketing it. Sometimes, the features you are proud of the most can be least satisfying to your customers.

You know your offerings better than anyone else, but keep in mind that consumers may be using them differently from what you think, or even in a way that was never intended. Hence, you might not have even thought about marketing them from this necessary point of view. Your customer service team has this type of information. It can help you align your campaigns and promotions with the best perception of your customers.  

customer service helps marketing

5. It shows you know what you’re doing

Just like your marketing team needs to know what happens in the customer service department, it works the other way around as well. You reach your customers through marketing, but they contact customer service when they need answers. And, if they don’t get their answers, you’ll eventually find yourself in trouble.

Your customer service team needs to be up-to-date with all past, current, and future campaigns and promotions. They need to know all the details – from the technical ones to the entire idea behind your marketing actions. That’s the only way to ensure they can really help customers who call. This allows them to provide the full customer experience you’re aiming for.

Joining different forces has always been a winning strategy in business. Fighting for the same goal with various knowledge and tools can only bring you to success more easily and quickly. That’s exactly why we, at DemandZEN, offer services for various businesses. We can generate meetings for your sales team, produce streams of qualified inbound leads, and integrate our lead generation campaigns with your existing business tools.

We are a team of marketers and salespeople with solutions that generate demand. Our solutions will fit and adapt to your exacting business needs. Feel free to contact us and see how we can help you solve problems and prosper.

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