We've all experienced it, and there are more than a few forums and online sites where spleens are vented on the subject: Poor Customer Service - when we receive great customer service we rarely tell anyone, yet when the service is bad, we're first on the community grapevine telling others what happened and poisoning the views about the offending business.

What is Customer Service and is it such an obvious term that even daring to define it here is offensive to those in business?

No doubt there are some businesses whose staff excel in all things 'customer service'.

The key aspects of Customer Service are:

Providing courteous and professional support to your customers throughout the buying process.

Fulfilling the needs of your customers while assisting them to become familiar with your goods/services.

Treating the customer as you would want to be treated, with respect and honesty.

There is no one perfect working definition for customer service because it is all-encompassing.

So why do so many business owners and their staff get it so wrong and what can you do about it if you're one of the offending parties?

When it comes to the crunch, staff who are hired to work in your business are simply people with a need for income that is greater than the government unemployment benefit.

Let's face it - if your staff didn't have to work at all to earn their income, would they? Most likely not. Granted, there are some genuine employees who truly enjoy or value having a job and will give it their all each and every day. There are, however, more than a few staff that appear somewhat begrudging in the provision of their duties.

This is reflected in poor customer service.

Here is a scenario that plays out in too many businesses - see if you recognize it.

Prospective customer walks in to storefront and browses the selection of goods on display. This customer has a product purchase in mind but is not familiar with all those available in this particular store. However, the customer service representative (CSR) fails to greet the customer, and leaves the customer to wander somewhat aimlessly in the store, till he or she attempts to engage the CSR in a communication. When doing so, the customer notices the lack of smile on the CSRs face. The dismissive tone in the voice is more than enough to convince the customer that shopping here won't be worth it. When asked about the product options in the store, the CSR responds with something akin to, "Sorry we don't have that product here". Nothing more.

If this is typical to the CSR behavior in your business, then you need to realize what is missing from that scenario:

Greet each and every prospect with a smile, and a cheery hello. It makes not one jot of difference if the customer appears to be indifferent, doesn't smile or is reserved and doesn't speak first. Your CSR must "meet and greet" with a smile and an enthusiasm that is sincere.

Don't just ask, "Are you right?" (How many times have I heard this cringe worthy offer of service?)

Instead, say "Can I be of assistance to you?" or something very similar. Whatever the customer respond with, the CSRs role is to ask questions - to determine what product the customer is seeking, what it is to be used for, and what price range the customer has in mind to spend. Product demonstration where the customer is encouraged to touch and feel the product engages the customer to imagine him or herself using the product - owning it today.

Matching one product with another and describing the benefits of products on either side of the customer's price point will allow for one of two things: the CSR will help the customer to spend more money on a more expensive item; or, if buying the cheaper item, it may then enable the CSR to find value in persuading the customer to buy an additional product while keeping within their own budget.

Let's say you're a retailer with office equipment in your stock. I come to you looking for a single ink cartridge. You don't stock the specific color I want.

What do you do?

Here's what happened when this situation occurred for me in a major retail outlet just before the GFC came crashing down. The same retail outlet had to shut a number of stores because of lack of profit and here's a contributing reason why.

The CSR of this major retailer heard my request for an ink cartridge, advised me that the color I wanted was not in stock and without questioning my needs, offered me a combined pack of cartridges (single cost $16, combined $99 - what do you think I did?)

I left the store and not one attempt to engage me further was made.

It came as no surprise to me that some of this retailer's stores had to close.

What could you do in this case?

Ask me what I needed the ink for - a project, a document, was it urgent, had I traveled far to come to the store?

By asking, you would find out that I needed it urgently BUT would have waited had I known the ink was coming in next day. Or, had the CSR offered to take my details (and my permission to be contacted), the store would have my details for future contact, to advise me of any great deals to do with ink, paper or other related office supplies.

I would also have been persuaded to buy the $99 pack of inks had the CSR engaged me in customer service communication. Clearly he was either disinterested, or may have just been having a bad day. Either way, the sale was lost to the store that day, and to this day, the retailer would never know I was in the store and would never know if I ever shopped there again.

Can you see how you might be able to change your CSR skills and make instant profitable increases to your revenue?

Customer service is not rocket science - it is a skill like any other which can be learned. Your business depends on treating all people who contact your business as being potential lifetime customers and it is vital you learn the lessons now for your business survival.