Concern With Customer Service Grows

More businesses are placing more emphasis on training staff to interact better with customers.

June 08, 2010

DEERFIELD, Ill. - Companies are taking a closer look at customer service as a way to raise sales and garner market share, the Wall Street Journal reports.

For example, Walgreen Co. pharmacists are receiving extra training in order to better help customers with chronic illness. Comcast Corp. is retraining agents at call centers, while American Express Co. is widening an initiative to get agents to interact better with customers.

As the economy strengthens, customer service is receiving more funding this year in many companies. Businesses are focusing more on customer niches that will bring in the most return on investment.

Some business leaders are seizing on a chance to capture irritated shoppers from competitors via word of mouth and by offering a more pleasant experience. For instance, Walgreen is targeting patients with chronic illnesses to get them to transfer their pharmacy loyalty to them. Beginning in January, the drug store chain has educated 500 pharmacists to help diabetes patients by setting up frequent 20- to 45-minute sessions to assist in disease management.

"We think we??ll see a stronger degree of patient loyalty, and we want to get a bigger share of the patient wallet," said Colin Watts, chief innovation officer at Walgreen.

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