What Is Customer Care?

What is customer care?

Customer care refers to actions taken by members of your team that create an emotional bond with your customers. The term can describe both small and large acts committed by your company and employees that show customers that they matter to you and that you value their business.

Your company’s customer care efforts can boost customer loyalty and encourage referrals, but that shouldn’t be the primary aim. The purpose of customer care is to show your customers that they truly matter. While your company may reap benefits from consistently delivering outstanding customer care, the actions taken are mainly for the customer’s benefit, not your own.

Define customer care for your employees with real-world examples

For members of your team to become focused on customer care, they must have a clear understanding of what it is. The concept can be challenging to grasp when you consider the definition alone. Using examples to illustrate various elements of customer care can make the term more tangible. The following real-world examples can help explain customer care to your employees.

The Infiniti dealer driveway showroom

Some dealers of luxury Infiniti automobiles have taken the hassles out of buying a new car with their driveway showroom service. Through this program, customers shop a dealer’s selection online and compare cars with a few clicks. Once they’ve found the one they prefer, they schedule a driveway showroom appointment either by phone or online. At the appointed time, a representative from the dealership takes the car to the customer’s home or place of work. The customer receives a point-by-point demonstration of key features and then has an opportunity to take the car on a test drive. If they decide they’re ready to buy, the entire transaction can take place in the driveway.

Key takeaway: Customer care often means simplifying things for customers. This could mean saving them time, reducing feelings of anxiety or eliminating any sense of pressure during the buying experience.

The Sheetz in-store experience

Sheetz is a family-owned convenience store chain located in the mid-Atlantic and upper South regions of the U.S. Every one of the company’s more than 600 locations welcomes customers with hot, fresh coffee 24 hours per day. If you walk into a store and the pot is empty, an employee assures you a fresh batch will be ready in a few minutes. Bathrooms are unlocked, spacious and cleaned from top to bottom frequently. On certain holidays, every location offers free coffee to all customers. Customers can trust that no matter where they are, Sheetz is where they can stop on a long trip to use the bathroom, stretch their legs and get something to eat and drink.

Key takeaway: Customer care doesn’t have to involve bold actions. Consistently providing small special touches can add up to a big difference for customers.

The JetBlue Twitter account

Commercial airline JetBlue’s social media account has more than 1.8 million followers as of November 2021. They’ve built their following partially through creative, share-worthy tweets that include witty quotes and striking photographs, but their account doesn’t just create buzz. The company monitors tweets closely and replies to most comments, even when they’re not tagged.

When someone files a complaint, JetBlue responds positively and professionally and recommends the next step. Even simple comments made in passing can get a reply. For example, a customer once tweeted that they wished Starbucks was closer to the gate for their JetBlue flight. Within a few minutes, the company had replied, telling them they’d have a hot cup of Dunkin’ Donuts waiting for them once they boarded. Even basic compliments get recognition from the company, often accompanied by celebratory GIFs and emojis. JetBlue doesn’t just answer the original post. A tour of the comments sections shows that they consistently engage there, too.

Key takeaway: Customer care is for social media, too. Although the Internet may seem impersonal, customer posts provide opportunities for customer care daily. A meaningful reply lets customers know you’re paying attention and that you care about their concerns. By responding to as many posts as possible, your company can show that you’re always listening.

Trader Joe’s commitment to going above and beyond

The quality and variety of Trader Joe’s store brand foods aren’t the only reasons customers keep coming back to the grocery store chain’s more than 500 stores. A quick Internet search reveals hundreds of outstanding customer service stories from customers wowed at the lengths employees went to while assisting them.

One Mother’s Day, a customer mentioned to a cashier that she was a single mom. As she was leaving, the cashier approached her and handed her a bouquet of flowers. At another location, the store manager once approved an employee to deliver in violation of company policy so that an elderly customer could get the groceries he desperately needed during a snowstorm.

Key takeaway: At times, customer care can take precedent over policies and procedures. When employees believe that bending a policy is the right thing to do, they should feel comfortable approaching their supervisor about making an exception. Managers should have the flexibility to approve moves that will greatly benefit customers.

Rackspace’s fanatical support

Cloud computing services company Rackspace calls their customer support “fanatical” to reflect their commitment to providing an exceptional experience. Often, customers phone in with complicated requests that take hours to resolve. Although the IT technician on the phone is hard at work, they still carry on a conversation and make the interaction as pleasant as possible. When possible, technicians will go above and beyond. For example, a technician once took the liberty of ordering a pizza for a customer who said they were hungry.

Key takeaway: Customer care starts with active listening. Even while completing complicated tasks, employees should be present with the customer and note what they say to spot opportunities to amaze with unexpected acts of customer care.

Apple’s quick customer contact

Tech giant Apple has a dedicated following of customers who would never buy a phone, smartwatch or computer from any other company. Although their innovative products get much of the credit for that loyalty, the company has a strong commitment to customer care that begins with prompt acknowledgment. When a customer walks into an Apple store, a greeter says hello, takes their name and encourages them to shop at their leisure. Apple rapidly responds to tech questions on social media, even if all they can initially say is let us look into this.

Key takeaway: Quickly responding to customer contact is a simple act of customer care that can make a big difference. Customers are often willing to wait for service or a solution if they know you’ll get back to them as soon as possible.

How to foster a spirit of customer care at your company

To become a company that stands out for delivering outstanding customer care:

Hire with customer care in mind. During interviews, ask candidates questions about times when they’ve gone above and beyond for a customer. For candidates who lack previous experience, reframe the question by asking them to imagine a scenario where they could have an opportunity to go above and beyond in the open position.

Model customer care from the top down. When leadership believes strongly in customer care, employees are more likely to do the same. Make building connections with customers part of everyone’s job duties, including your own. Even employees who don’t regularly have customer contact should understand how their roles impact customers. By collaborating with, assisting and supporting coworkers, they indirectly contribute to customer care.

Integrate customer care into employee coaching. One challenge of enhancing customer care is that it’s hard to measure it with data. Instead of trying to create metrics to assess it, make customer care a focus of coaching sessions. Supervisors can work one-on-one with employees to help them spot opportunities to go the extra mile for customers.

Recognize employees who show excellent customer care. When an online review, social media post or other customer reaction reveals that a member of your team demonstrated exceptional customer care, recognize them in some way. Not only will this encourage that employee to continue seizing the opportunity to strengthen customer relationships, but it will also provide a concrete example of how their peers can do the same.

Customer Care FAQs

What’s the difference between customer care and customer service?

Customer service refers to advising your customers and assisting them when problems arise. Customer care involves fostering an emotional connection with the people who buy your products or use your services. An exceptional customer service experience can involve customer care, but routine interactions may not.

What’s the difference between customer care and customer success?

Customer success is another word for customer support. Normally, the term describes resolving technical issues that customers face. Customer care is the little things your team members do that build a stronger relationship with your customers. If an IT tech or engineer goes above and beyond during a customer success interaction, customer care may factor into the experience.

What’s the difference between customer care and customer experience?

Customer experience describes what it’s like for your customer before, during and after a purchase. A great customer experience may not involve one-on-one contact with your company and doesn’t have to involve building a relationship. For example, an online store can deliver an exceptional experience by allowing customers to easily compare options, complete a purchase and have a product shipped to their door without any issues. Customer care is creating an emotional bond with your customers, usually through contact with a member of your team.

What’s the difference between customer care and customer relations?

Customer relations describes the ways you engage your customers. Like customer care, the purpose of customer relations is to deliver a better experience for customers. However, customer relations seeks to turn customers into loyal buyers and brand ambassadors who will continue to contribute to your company’s success. Customer care doesn’t have any underlying motives. It’s something your company delivers because you genuinely care about your customers.

What Is Customer Care?

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