During ‘group work’ in a ‘Sustainable Customer Service Strategy’ workshop with PRISA (Public Relations Institute of South Africa) in Johannesburg on July 22 2011, participants were asked to discuss their ‘top ten’ benefits of providing excellent customer (client, member etc.) service.  Their consolidated input from the group work is listed below.

Excellent customer service leads to:

1. Differentiating your organisation from the rest, a competitive advantage
2. Increased brand recognition
3. The creation of self-appointed brand ambassadors
4. Customer satisfaction
5. Customer loyalty
6. Building of positive relationships and an ‘absence of malice’
7. Positive ‘word of mouth’ referrals
8. The value proposition – value for money from the client’s perspective
9. Sustification of price perception
10. A friendly environment
11. Staff empowerment (motivates staff to deliver)
12. Increased staff productivity
13. Improved communication with external and internal customers leading to better understanding
14. Repeat business (customer retention)
15. Increased revenue-base
16. Increase in ‘bottom-line’ returns
17. Creation of a ‘consumer watchdog’