The WebSmartIdeas aims to promote and disseminate good creative ideas to improve society.

Sceptics treat them as buzzwords, but 'customer service' is one of the few ways to gain a competitive advantage. "Superior customer service can be a powerful way of differentiating an organisation, but it takes work and a long term view. 

Organisations in all industry sectors have felt the impact of stronger competition in lower prices, tighter margins and less perceived differentiation between products.

Customer service is often a deciding factor in choosing a company's products or services, and while traditionally associated with service industries, it is an important issue for all companies because it emphasises the importance of looking at the market from the customer's perspective.

Discovering the customer priorities and tailoring your offer to suit, is essential. It improves customer satisfaction and loyalty. It also helps protect margins from price competition.

It isn't as simple as it seems; there are several factors that need careful attention:

• Defining which markets are, and will be competed in
• Matching identified customer needs with the company's service vision
• Setting specific customer service objectives that reinforce the company business strategy
• Getting commitment from employees and suppliers
• The underlying processes and procedures for progress monitoring
• Analysis of competitive reaction