Customer service desks have traditionally been seen as one of the biggest cost centers inside an organization. But companies that only see service in terms of hard costs are seeing the corporate glass as half-empty. When used effectively, providing customers with outstanding service has enormous potential to turn a cost center into a revenue center. Here’s how:

The Viral Effect of Quality Service

• Social media channels are allowing companies to publicly take credit for high-quality customer service for the first time. Strong customer service, then, is more important than ever due to social media’s continuing exponential growth. Research shows that customers not only switch brands to receive quality service, but also spend more with companies and brands that have histories of providing quality service. And when customers recognize that their business is valued, they share that experience with others. By listening, engaging, and responding to customer needs in a timely and effective manner, an organization can turn a customer’s negative experience around, and transform that customer -- and his or her network of followers -- into an advocate for its products and brand. That’s the kind of exposure that even the most sophisticated marketeer cannot buy.

Effective Cross/UpSelling

• Innovative companies are also investing in business processes and technologies that track and exploit cross-selling, referrals, and up-selling to new or complementary products. Turning a service call into a sales opportunity can be tricky, but creates new revenue when artfully executed (by focusing on providing real value to the customer). It also turns your service agents into heroes, both to your customer and to the organization.

The bottom line: In today’s market, every customer interaction with employees now plays a vital role in sales. Companies must compete and re-earn their customers’ loyalty with every customer-facing interaction. Companies that understand this, and are genuinely invested in servicing their customers’ needs, will see the corporate glass not as half-empty, but as having the opportunity to overflow with new and renewed sales from loyal customers now actively advocating on your behalf.

Please share your thoughts below! Do you have any success stories in turning customer service into sales?