Let’s be realistic – there’s not a single company I can think of who doesn’t cite an ‘excellence in customer service’ on their business charter.  And yet, as anyone who has ever flown with a certain blue and yellow airline can attest, companies so often fall short of the standards we expect as consumers and clients.

If marketing and sales are the engine of a business, customer service is the fuel tank.  

Which is why at V-Ex, we strive to ensure that excelling in this area is something that we actually achieve and isn’t just empty words on a webpage.

So, if a company doesn’t have endless resources (see Amazon), what can it do to allow customer service to be at the forefront of delivery? 

Be solutions driven

As an Account Management team, we know our product intimately, and certainly well enough to anticipate our client’s needs.  But to assume is fatal. It limits the potential for understanding a brief and can so often lead to pigeon holing, where customers never feel like they’re getting the full 5-star treatment.

When working with our clients, we ask the right questions to enable us to define solutions.  We know the ‘how’. What we want to understand from them is ‘why.’ The best thing is, by doing this, it means we create a collaborative environment which is perfect for producing our most innovative work.

Be spontaneous in delighting

We recently hosted Travis Perkins for their Annual Conference.  After a long day of rehearsals, a TP colleague said, “God I would kill for a cheeseburger, fries, apple pie and strawberry milkshake.”  Overhearing this, our Event Manager and COO summoned the order through Deliveroo and surprised the client with it waiting for her in the next break.

Having seen this, TP Head of Internal Comms said, “Well I want either an Aston Martin or Daniel Craig!”  So, we delivered…

The point of this story isn’t to highlight that old adage of ‘going the extra mile’, but the importance of spontaneity.  It shows that we were paying attention.

And this is what our clients value. 

Be honest

In every line of business, complications occur, and it’s never more true than in events. 

At V-Ex, we understand that it’s not about creating problem-free environments, but about nurturing a relationship with our clients that allow us to be professional, direct and sincere. This means that when things don’t according to plan we address the issues head on and our customers trust us. This is at the core of customer service ethos.

Issues arise.  Mistakes happen.  But good, honest customer service breeds loyalty and gets results.