Customer Service

Abstract

The method an organization selects for communicating with customers is crucial to the development of a loyal customer base. Typically, organizations will select reactive or proactive strategies consisting of different communication styles to assist customers with products or services. During customer service experiences, customers have come to expect that organizations will have appealing facilities and personnel, be reliable and responsive, as well as show empathy and strive for assurance. In meeting expectations, organizations rated high in communication performance are known to have more satisfied, loyal customers. Both customers and organizations seek satisfaction and quality out of customer service experiences, and organizations plan on this increasing customer loyalty. However, communication research shows some disagreement between organizational and customer ideas of what satisfaction, loyalty, and quality mean in customer service settings. This lack of shared understanding highlights an area in need of improved communication surrounding key outcomes of customer service.