Samsung as an example of high quality customer service

As anybody working in the retail industry would know, customer service quality is almost as important as the quality of the goods and services themselves. In order to provide consumers with a truly favorable experience, it is important to consider the factors which will influence their perception of a company. For example, if someone is displeased at the way they were treated by their cashier at a Radio Shack, they may have a negative outlook regarding the Samsung smart phone that they had bought there. For the sake of argument, the cashier may have been rude or snarky to the customer upon completing their transaction. The customer is likely to remember this if their phone malfunctions two weeks from the time of their purchase. While this may have nothing to do with Samsung, it is now likely that this customer will take it out on the representative from the Samsung helpline as they try to resolve their problem.

While this is a hypothetical situation, I know firsthand that it is a fairly common one which people will often regret later. Still, what comes around goes around, and this is just as applicable to the quality of customer service which people provide. Samsung is a well-known technology manufacturer. Their products have been sold to consumers for decades through countless retailers. While their innovativeness, ambition, and quality of work often speaks for itself through their products, they are also very accommodating to the customers which support them by buying their products. In order to ensure constant business in the future, namely return business, it is important to take all of the consumer’s needs into consideration. This is just as true when the customer needs further assistance outside of merely purchasing their goods or services.

Samsung is aware of this concept and has taken modern steps to help out their consumers. They make their products, services, news, and other relevant content available on their webpage in order to keep their loyal customers informed and coming back for more. Other modern ways that they extend assistance is through a helpline. While communication plays an important role in the level of customer satisfaction, company policies regarding malfunctioning products and obsolete services are just as important to customers as well.

The Samsung website is set up so that it would be virtually impossible for any customer questions or concerns impossible to leave unaddressed. They offer several means of communication with representatives as well as self-service. The contact options are listed in great deal on their web page, and even include remote help. This is an option which allows a support staff member to access a customer’s device from their location without being in the physical presence of the customer. Other efficient options which are provided on this website are FAQ’s, email addresses and phone numbers for respective Samsung departments, as well as an entire database of archived information pertaining to specific Samsung products.

The ease of access to information that Samsung provides is a proactive method in maintaining their large customer base. Naturally, this website would not be possible if not for the extensive experience and innovation that Samsung has committed to their customers and their products. The abilities to plan, solve problems, and learning from the past are all important factors to consider when it comes to providing services (Swinscoe). Samsung has clearly done all of this, which is conveyed through their website. Every option to collaborate with customers to ensure that they are receiving the products that they expect is utilized at some place on the web page. As I said before, it would be virtually impossible to not have access to the information pertaining to any of their products by accessing this website.

For the sake of writing this essay, I took an old Samsung phone of mine which had been deactivated last year. Naturally, I no longer had the SIM card and was fully aware of the nature of my “ problem.” However, I decided that I would use the customer help hotline that they provided on their website to evaluate the quality of service which I would be given. For dealing with an automated system in order to talk to a representative, I was pleasantly surprised by the concise info that the representative was able to give me, especially considering the simplicity of the “ problem.” What was even more surprising was the patience of this representative and the friendliness of the “ assistance” that she provided.

Upon calling the hotline, it is required to navigate through a very detailed automated system in order to be redirected to the right department. While this may seem tedious, it is to ensure that representatives are able to focus on their area of expertise in order to best assist the customers. Customer service can only be perceived as good if the customer finds the information that they are looking for. Upon being directed to the proper department, the representatives will greet the customer very cordially and inquire about their problems and which device it concerns. As I was inquiring about an out-of-date flip phone with no SIM card, I was expecting to receive minimal (if any) assistance. The representatives are polite, thorough, and make sure that they are helping you appropriately throughout every step of the assistance process.

The needs of the customer plays a greater role in whether they will return than the service they receive (Dixon, et al.). Because of this, many companies have figured out that the quality of the customer service they provide is irrelevant, simply because they are under the impression that the customer needs them. Samsung has demonstrated that they require their representatives to go above and beyond this idea. Not only is the staff required to possess detailed knowledge regarding the products, they are willing to do so in a friendly manner. This is especially saying something, considering the simplicity of the problem that I presented to the representative that I spoke to. Upon further research, I was able to find out that Samsung is willing to distribute refunds on any of their items, working or not, within thirty days. This is regardless of the store policies of the establishment from which the product was bought. This offer by itself says a lot about the integrity of this company and the lengths that they are willing to go to in order to keep their customers satisfied.

Customer service does not always have to deal with the social interactions that customers have with the representatives or staff of their establishment of choice. It can also be demonstrated by the policies of the company itself as well as the type of training they provide to their employees. The willingness to keep customers updated and satisfied are also important characteristics of any company, and will likely ensure returning business if implemented correctly. Samsung has been a global leader in electronics manufacturing for years now, and their business practices reflect it. Not only are their products reliable, full support is offered for any of them. While this is terrific, it is rare to see a company offer service and advice pertaining to their outdated products. Aside from the library of knowledge and quality of products that they provide, they also make it a point to make sure the interactions of their staff are positive and helpful. By providing high quality in terms of their products and their actual customer service, Samsung is a shining example of what makes a company truly successful.