Customer Service is a Core Competency

Yesterday I was asked a question that I am often asked and I thought it deserved a blog post.

The question I was asked is “Where is you call center?”

I always answer the same….. WE DO NOT HAVE A CALL CENTER!!!

We have product experts, and that function is handled in our head office.

The expertise in our sales department is a core competency. I would put our product  experts up against anyone in the business in their deep knowledge of the respective ...

products. They each have incredible knowledge on flooring, decking, and other products. Because of our unique supply chain, they each understand the manufacturing process and have direct contact with the factories.  

They are trained to help customers find the best value and help them understand the myriad of choices.

There are two main reasons that we do not outsource this:

1) The level of knowledge required for the role is immense!!

2) Our customers are too important!!!!

When I think of outsourcing customer service, my own horrible experiences spring to life. I think about getting my call routed overseas, automated messages, waiting on hold, and then not having someone that can answer my questions. When given a choice, meaning that the company has competitors in the marketplace, I would rarely choose a company that runs their operation like this.

It seems to me…shortsighted. Potentially increasing profits short term, but risking the business long term.

Although we do not yet share the feedback of our product experts on the web, (We thought product quality was more important) it is something that is measured every day in our office. I am extremely proud of our people and their commitment to our customers.

To conclude this post, I have included some of the comments we received this week. Keep up the great work.

 

1) Great people to work with that really went the extra mile to make the project work. Worked hard to get product out on time-flawless performance under difficult circumstances. Superb group-THANKS!

2) I am very happy with my dealings and purchase from your company. Before I even purchased the flooring I called your customer service number and spoke to a gentleman (I believe his name was Alex) in your laminate department. He was very knowledgeable of the product and answered all my questions on the transition molding. After speaking with him I was even more confident in my decision to purchase our flooring from your company.

3) Your staff in the hardwood flooring department were amazing. I couldn’t believe that no matter which one I talked to over the course of the order process, they were all organized and knew exactly what was previously discussed. Excellent to see a company where communication is clearly a priority.

4) Sales representative was very helpful. I needed the travertine molding asap because i was scheduled for tile the following week and representative made sure it got out priority that same day i ordered. That was enough for me to go back to your site.

 

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If you’re on Twitter, some of our people are too: 

Follow them at: 

@BuildDirect

@BD_products

@marcmcpherson

@jameskomenda

@davidtompson

@fil_haile

@clint_joy

Customer Service is a Core Competency is a post from: Building Into the Future with Jeff Booth

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