Services decide choice of customers

Customer care is considered an optimal competitive weapon of enterprises, particularly in the context of the expanding retail market. However, many enterprises have not yet used effectively the weapon and a large number of customers are disappointed in the service quality of some enterprises.

For a long time, the concept of customer care has been interpreted simply as hospitality and thoughtful attitude which salesmen give their customers. However, Doan Dinh Hoang, an expert of consulting enterprise trademark, said that the attitude toward customers is only a small factor in the customer care strategy.

The market of electric appliances which is being expanded and invested on large scale, is a typical example. Almost all big electric appliance centres, such as Nguyen Kim, Pico, Top care, Viet Long and Tran Anh, have built teams of young customer services officers. However, not all centres are appreciated for the quality of customer care. Besides the hospitality and thoughtful attitude of staff, customers want to receive good products and after-sale services. In fact, Nguyen Kim is among the few successful in customer service and has made its trademark well-known in both big markets of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

Recently, a launching ceremony of Pico branch in Hanoi has caused a panic as customers elbowed through crowds to buy goods being promoted. In terms of the issue, a marketing staff of Pico explained a link in the customer care chain was mistaken. As a result, Pico lost a number of customers.

As the market expands, electric appliances are often sold at competitive prices. In this case, the key factor to attract customers is the quality of services which include the main criteria: Product, Salesmanship and Staff. Hoang said. If only one of the three criteria is mistaken, the enterprise can lose customers.

In some cases, an enterprise would not attract customers despite its methodical strategy of customer care. The case of Pico is an example. Although taking the slogan “Pioneer in Serving Task”, Pico has many times faced headaches with critical complaints against its customer care services. Do Thanh Nam, a consultant of enterprise strategy, said good product, care and post-sale services will decide the success of a enterprise.

So far, lots of firms are aware of the importance of customer care. Some electric appliance supermarkets such as Nguyen Kim and Pico have built their own care services which operate independently with hundreds of staff. These will ensure the guarantee and other interests as pledged with customers. With these efforts, customers will feel comfortable and secure about the trademark they have chosen, Ngo Thiet Hung, Pico vice director said.

Each firm should have a specific plan to raise its quality of customer care in all phases from product selection, advertising, selling and shipping to post-sale care. Instead of investing a large sum of money for advertisement, it is better to spend the sum and the time for customer care because each customer will be an effective advertiser. – VCCI

Tags: vietnam retail industry, Vietnam retail market