Customer Service Helps In Branding

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

Branding is the Buzz in town in this transition age, is also referred as Branding revolution. The brand defines the unique point of differentiation for your product and services and it’s the only opportunity to standout in the market (Barlow, Stewart, 2008). The statement clearly states to get an organization identified in the market it is very important to use Branding Strategy.

"A brand is a product, service, or concept that is publicly distinguished from other products, services, or concepts so that it can be easily communicated and usually marketed. A brand name is the name of the distinctive product, service, or concept. Branding is the process of creating and disseminating the brand name. Branding can be applied to the entire corporate identity as well as to individual product and service names" (Parchanschi, 2010).

Branding is as much as a way of doing business, as they are reputation or identity (Barlow, Stewart, 2008). This reputation or identity enables the organization to grow, establish, sustain and get a competitive edge over their competitors.

An organization is able to sustain itself as a brand when it can deliver authentic qualities – real characteristics of the value and brand promise being provided and/or production characteristics.

The organizations which are brand driven, concentrate more on the quality and satisfaction of the customers in order to maintain a lifelong customer relationship. When a customer is satisfied with a brand he never likes to shift. In this way organizations get permanent customer which results in reputation and identification of the brand in the market. This makes them get fame and helps them in building their brand through word of mouth. The word of mouth strategy helps in creating Brand Awareness which is directly proportional to recognition, sales, reputation and growth of the organizations. Once the brand is identified in the market it leads to recognition of their products and services as well.

The potential customers in the market always look for the Brand Identity. Brand Identity can be achieved by advertisement strategies, quality of product, perfect customer service and getting feedback from potential customer. A potential customer will only give positive feedbacks when he likes the brand or he would even prefer to give feedback on basis of improvement of the Brand.

After a certain brand has gained recognition and reputation it would like to protect itself from the competitors having the similar product. Brands usually to protect itself in the market gains a trademark registered under an authority, usually the authorities are the government bodies.

Brands are often expressed in the form of logos, graphic representations of the brand (Parchanschi, 2010).

Customer Service as Branding Tool

Many developed and developing countries’ economies are growing rapidly which leads to high purchasing power. Companies develop products/services according to the customer requirement or expectation. When the products released according to customer expectation they are surprised. This helps the brand in selecting the right brand according to their choice and preferences which helps the Brand in getting identified.

When good customer services are provided it’s the lifeblood to any business. This lifeblood can be possible by promotions or slashing down prices which attract many new customers to purchase, but these customers have to be maintained for repurchase. If these customers are not satisfied with the product or service and lose their interest over the organization then it is not considered non- profitable to the firm. Losing a customer is like losing a lifetime asset of the organization.

Good customer service results in bringing customers back and it is about keeping them satisfied to pass positive feedback about your business along to others, who may then try the product or service you offer for themselves and in their turn become repeat customers (Ward).

The sales person can form an impression in customers mind by the way he presents himself and the way he responds to the questions asked by them. If the salesperson is quick enough to answer them because he knows the product well and impresses the customers to purchase. This will result in satisfaction to the customer and he will return to the same place and to the same sales person because effective customer service was provided.

8 Rules for Good Customer Services by Susan Ward

1) Answer your phone (Ward).

2) Don’t make promises unless you WILL keep them (Ward).

3) Listen to your customers (Ward).

4) Deal with complaints (Ward).

5) Be helpful - even if there’s no immediate profit in it (Ward).

6) Train your staff (if you have any) to be ALWAYS helpful, courteous, and knowledgeable (Ward).

7) Take the extra step (Ward).

8) Throw in something extra (Ward).