The sales process and customer service - OCRProduct knowledge and good customer service

When a business provides excellent customer service, customers are more likely to trust a business, and become loyal customers. This may mean that the business gains repeat customers.

Businesses often find it more cost-effective to retain existing customers than to find new ones through advertising. Gaining trust requires a business to deal honestly with customers about the products that they sell, and the way that they engage with customers.

Product knowledge

Businesses need to ensure that their employees have good product knowledge. Customers expect a high level of product knowledge and customer service. For example, a supermarket employee should be able to direct a customer to any product that they are looking for. Similarly, an employee working in an electronics store should be able to give details to a customer about the features of a TV they are interested in purchasing.

A high level of product knowledge is a way of increasing the added value to a product or service. This is especially important during the sales process for technical or highly expensive products or services. For example, an employee in a specialist cycling shop might advise a customer on the correct bike to use for riding on rough terrain versus on the road.

To gain product knowledge, staff are often required to undergo training and refresher courses. Long-serving employees will have a much better understanding of the business and its products and services compared to newer employees.

Customer engagement

The term ‘customer engagement’ refers to the interactions that take place between a business and its customers during the sales process. Some products don’t require much interaction, eg buying a loaf of bread from a supermarket. However, some products and services require a high level of engagement, eg the sale of a house through an estate agent, or the purchase of a car. In such cases, the salesperson must build a relationship with the customer.

Many businesses use social media to reach their customers. They may ask customers to ‘like’ or ‘follow’ the business, or to make recommendations or post images of themselves using the business’ product or service. Businesses sometimes post updates about their products, eg product launches and upcoming events, to keep customers involved and engaged.

Building and maintaining customer engagement can help businesses to create large brands known around the world.