Marina Dock Age, July/August 2002

What Does It Really Mean To Provide Customer Service?
by Dennis P. Kissman

I just returned from a relaxing two-week cruise in the Bahamas aboard Bewitched, our Ocean Alexander Mark I trawler. As we visited a number of marinas both large (by Bahamian standards) and small, we observed an interesting pattern in the level of customer service. I also realized that customer service is not something that can easily be quantified.  

Personalities

Every time you or your employee comes in contact with a person who wants to buy goods or services from you, the customer’s perception of that encounter is “customer service.” The variables are endless because you are dealing with personalities in various situations. It is how those personalities interact that determines whether the encounter is a good experience or not.  

During our cruise, I noticed that on more than one occasion, one employee would know just how to respond to my needs without being overbearing, while another employee did not have a clue as to what customer service meant. Interesting also was the fact that the employee’s position seemed to have no bearing on the level or quality of service I received.

Rules

It occurred to me that the most effective customer service program can be summed up by the following:

• Apply common sense to the situation at hand.

• Treat others as you want to be treated.

• Think before you react.

• Be helpful, not confrontational.

• If a complaint or situation comes from several customers, correct it.

• Do not offer something that you cannot deliver.

• Do not put off addressing the issue at hand.
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