As prices for winter fuel soar, gas and electricity suppliers are vying to win over new customers. Power companies that offer excellent customer service will have the advantage over firms that offer low prices but cant keep customers long-term.
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Gas and Electricity Suppliers With Excellent Service
by M.S. Ross
These days, the most popular means testing for determining which energy company to go with is, by far, based upon the prices charged for tariffs. But the level of satisfaction consumers experience with gas and electricity suppliers can far outweigh the benefits of lower-priced tariffs. If youre more concerned about buying yourself peace of mind than saving a farthing or two, then seek out tariffs from companies who strive for excellence in customer service.
Service, Please!
Across all disciplines of business, more and more companies are recognizing that customers are demanding improved service. In the age of the internet, its easy for shoppers to post comments about their experiences with specific companies, and just as easy for other shoppers to seek out and read such reviews. Word of mouth advertising has never been so important when ones word can reach all the way around the globe in a flash. [1]
Because of this, shoppers are finding all kinds of deals by purchasing items from outside of their town, region or country. These same shoppers also see levels of service extended to customers of certain businesses, while other businesses drop the ball. Who doesnt prefer receiving top-notch service? Because of this, consumers are becoming more particular, and are demanding better services at better prices.
Of course, fuel consumers are somewhat limited in their options, in that they cannot seek services from gas and electricity suppliers outside their service area. It would seem that energy consumers are therefore stuck getting whatever is offered to them, since their choices are restrained by the locations of their homes. This can engender a somewhat lackadaisical attitude among power suppliers, since they neednt compete against each other too much in the arena of service. After all, where else are these consumers going to go for their power needs?
Indeed, energy companies do have consumers somewhat over a barrel in this regard. And, since most consumers are primarily focused on the fears of increasing winter fuel prices these days, customer service might be placed even farther on the back burner by power companies right now. With rising energy costs, more people are willing to change their tariffs, so energy suppliers can focus on making their rates and terms competitive, without really having to think about service at all.
In this type of business climate, smarter energy companies could jump on a golden opportunity. Power suppliers that turn to transforming their customer service from merely adequate to absolutely stellar would be uniquely poised to rake in new customers. The consumer who feels listened to and taken care of is the consumer who will tell all her friends about that fantastic company that extends excellent VIP service to its customers.
Investing in Long-Term Business
Gas and electricity suppliers that treat their customers as royalty make an investment that will pay off handsomely in the long-term. Happy customers are far less likely to look around for replacement tariffs every few months. Saving a pound or two means nothing to the consumer whose interactions with her power company are pleasant and smooth-sailing. Low prices only go so far. Companies that treat their customers with respect will reap respect and appreciation in spades.
Most power suppliers have established pages through various social media services. Marketing departments work overtime posting what they hope are engaging pictures, comments and special offers to keep their companys brand name in front of the public. The social media sites of energy companies would be overflowing with positive public participation if the customer service departments of these firms fine-tuned their interactions with consumers. A small adjustment would likely induce a large positive response; a grand improvement in customer service would probably result in consumers creating their own fan pages singing the praises of their favorite energy company!
Excellent Service Begets Excellent Business Growth
Even if youre perfectly description with your current provider, take some time three to four times a year to check around and see whether another energy firm has risen in the ranks of service. Its easy enough to stay put when all is well, but staying with the status quo can mean youre left behind when another company brushes up its level of service. Gas and electricity suppliers who want to net the greatest number of new customers would be wise to heed the musings of Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos: “If we can keep our competitors focused on us while we stay focused on the customer, ultimately, well turn out alright.â€
M.S. Ross thinks that everyone should try to find the cheapest and best gas and electricity suppliers.
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