Exploring the distinctions
that make exceptional customer
service a reality.
Dear Alumni and Friends,
Harry Gordon Selfridge (1858-1947), a major figure in the development of Marshall Field and Company and later the founder of Selfridge's Department Store in London, is credited with saying "the customer is always right." Some will argue with that, but as Jack Welch so aptly put it during a presentation in Atlanta recently, "Customers may not always be right, but if you don't make them think they are, you won't be in business very long." Such is the importance of good customer service.
But what is customer service? Why is it more than just a slogan? What are the processes and who are the people that make good customer service a reality?
To find these answers, State of Business examined a variety of industries and their approaches to customer satisfaction. We began with one of the most heralded medical facilities in Atlanta, St. Joseph's Hospital, whose CEO Bonnie Phipps, holder of two degrees from the Robinson College, tells how customer service goes hand-in-hand with patient care. We also looked at three major banking institutions - Bank of America, SunTrust and Wachovia - and found out how each uses different techniques to achieve the objective of meeting or exceeding customer expectations.
We studied the hospitality industry and spoke with faculty, students and alumni of the College's Cecil B. Day School of Hospitality to discover the true art of customer service in such demanding venues as restaurants, hotels and convention centers.
We asked Marketing Department Professor Dr. Ken Bernhardt to share his opinions on customer service from a marketing point of view.
We also found one more passage from Gordon Selfridge: "Treat them as guests when they come and when they go, whether or not they buy. Give them all that can be given fairly, on the principle that to him that giveth shall be given. Remember always that the recollection of quality remains long after the price is forgotten. Then your business will prosper naturally."
We think that Mr. Selfridge would like this issue. We hope that you enjoy it too and will let us know your comments. Also, to keep current with news of the J. Mack Robinson College of Business, check our website, www.robinson.gsu.edu.
Best regards,
H. Fenwick Huss
Dean
