Is Customer Service No Longer Necessary?

I read an article where the author said that as online shopping becomes more prevalent, customer service is no longer necessary.

Wow.

Really? Are you serious?

I was shocked.  No, scratch that.  I was completely and utterly dumbfounded and flabbergasted.  Is this the way companies are thinking now? If it is, I hope they realize the error of their ways before it's too late.  Customers still want good service - even if they shop online.  There have been many, many times when I couldn't find what I wanted or get the answers to questions I was looking for on a website and I either did a live chat or a phone call to customer service for help.  Customer service is the meat and potatoes of every company.  It will never, EVER be unnecessary.  It is absolutely ESSENTIAL to your business and it is imperative that you realize that and take steps to not only have a customer service department but also to have the best people in your CSR positions.

A gentleman walked into our office early one morning and asked to speak with someone in regard to promotional products for his new business.  I met with him, listened and took notes as he described what he was looking for and then I made a few suggestions and showed him a few samples.  I didn't have quite the right thing for what he wanted, so I took his contact information and did some looking.  I sent him some pictures and when he picked out what he wanted, I ordered samples and emailed him to let him know when they arrived.  He came in to look at the samples and found just what he wanted.  We finalized the details of his order and started it moving.  Before he left that day, he told me how much he appreciated all the time I spent speaking with him and helping him.  He told me that before he found us, he had already contacted several other printers and made the same inquiry and that all of them had said "Go to our website and look at our products.  When you find what you want, give us a call."  No one would take the time to sit down with him, answer his questions and help him until he came to Office Express.  Amazing.

Customer service will ALWAYS be necessary.  Whether it is through online chat, phone or in person, it will ALWAYS be the single most important part of your business.  

I'd like to leave you today with 3 quotations to think about.

"Your customer doesn't care how much you know until they know how much you care." Damon Richards

"One customer well taken care of could be more valuable than $10,000 worth of advertising." Jim Rohn

And finally, 

There is only one boss. The customer. And he can fire everybody in the company from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else." Sam Walton

Words of wisdom.