When it comes to choosing products consumers are often overwhelmed with choices. Many times, these products are exactly the same no matter which company they are purchased from. When selling these types of commodity goods, it can be a challenge as a company to differentiate yourself from the competition. You might often find yourself wondering if the company next door is selling the exact same product, how do I set myself apart from them? The good news is that it is possible. There are companies that have perfected the recipe to setting themselves apart from their competitors.
Systel is one of those companies. Systel is an office equipment dealer that has perfected the art of how to create a competitive advantage. The company has been in business since 1981, and they attribute much of their success to their customer service. It has been labeled white glove service. Michelle Shepard sits down with JT Rimby from the Field Sales Leadership Guide Podcast to discuss white glove service in greater detail.
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When it comes to choosing products consumers are often overwhelmed with choices. Many times, these products are exactly the same no matter which company they are purchased from. When selling these types of commodity goods, it can be a challenge as a company to differentiate yourself from the competition. You might often find yourself wondering if the company next door is selling the exact same product, how do I set myself apart from them? The good news is that it is possible. There are companies that have perfected the recipe to setting themselves apart from their competitors.
Systel is one of those companies. Systel is an office equipment dealer that has perfected the art of how to create a competitive advantage. The company has been in business since 1981, and they attribute much of their success to their customer service. It has been labeled white glove service. Michelle Shepard sits down with JT Rimby from the Field Sales Leadership Guide Podcast to discuss white glove service in greater detail.
What is White Glove Service
First, it is important to understand what white glove service is. White glove service is a term that is often used to describe the level of customer service that a company is providing. As a company it is one thing to say that you provide good customer service, but is another to provide white glove service.
White glove service means that you are going above and beyond for the customer. You are doing more than just taking their order and sending them their product. Companies that have instilled the white glove service philosophy are committed to delivering excellent customer service 24/7. Michelle says that at Systel; “Our employees are 100% committed to total customer satisfaction.” The entire company and every employee truly cares about delivering quality customer service, and this is why a company like Systel has been so successful. Excellent customer service is not just a philosophy at Systel it is a part of their culture.
What does White Glove Service Look Like
What does a high level of customer service even look like? This can vary depending upon the product or service that you are selling. For a company like Systel, it encompasses many things. They do not simply sell something to their customer and move on. They are highly focused on developing relationships with their customers. They meet with them regularly and are there for the long-haul to help them out when they have troubles with equipment, helping them install equipment, or anything else that they might need.
Systel also understands the importance of having the right people in the right positions in order to service those needs. They provide proper training for their employees and have specialists in place to support the sales reps and customers. There is a lot of work behind the scenes as well which includes: recruiting talent that has excellent communication skills and having proper metrics in place to track sales activities.
The Competitive Advantage
As a company that delivers white glove service, you truly can have the competitive advantage. Many times, the competition is focused on how to do things as cost effectively as possible. This can often leave things like customer service outside of focus. When service is inside of your focus you will see success. There are many other companies in the marketplace today that are extremely successful that provide white glove service. Amazon is one that we all know and purchase from regularly. They have had unheard of success in the last few years, and much of this is due to the level of customer service that they provide each and every day.
Win Business with White Glove Service
If you have the proper processes in place, it is proven to deliver results. These processes can include everything from hiring the right talent to having the tools in place to support the team. Using tools like Map My Customers can help keep your customer data organized and help you to deliver the same white glove service that companies like Systel are. If you work hard to develop relationships with your customers, and truly solve their problems you can set yourself apart from the competition. Michelle says that “customer service is not a one-time goal, it is a continuing commitment to innovation, quality and attention to detail”. If you are committed to delivering a high level of customer service, you will see success and win business.
