![\"Sales](\"http:\/\/www.customerservicemanager.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/salest.jpg\")
\nAligning these key areas of business is essential when dealing with customers.<\/strong><\/p>\n Style in this sense, is the way your company addresses clients. Let’s take two main approaches: the formal way and the more personal approach.<\/p>\n I have seen websites that have a virtual receptionist with the image of a real person. “Rose,” I found on one of those sites and they have selected this name and her look to represent a real person. Other sites with a virtual receptionist often choose to a cartoon or digital character. Less personal.<\/p>\n To prevent a style mismatch you have to treat your clients in the same way whether they are being serviced by salesmen or by the customer service department.<\/p>\n If the approach is like the above, with the personal touch — this site in question shows even real employees with their face and real name on the home page with an invitation to discuss a idea, product, service, etc — than make sure you offer this approach during the whole contact-cycle.<\/p>\n If you use the personal touch in sales, and all of a sudden a customer issues a complaint and you send a letter in response without any name, nor function of the one who has written it, but only the name of the company, you are breaking the style of the approach; Personal in sales, impersonal at customer services.<\/p>\n Clients do not only understand this, they also assume that the impersonal approach is the real one, thinking – “so this is your real face.” It shows that the organization is not responsible; when there is a problem they hide behind the brand of the company. This damages the image of the organization as well as the brand, because it sends a marketing message to clients who may chain it to others.<\/p>\n The best thing to do is to consequently choose one style and use it all the way.<\/p>\n To prevent such a mismatch, first look at the business. A complaint may turn out to be a claim but it can also turn into a loyal customer. When designing the organization you have to choose what business process you want to stress most; claims you will always have, but if you are preparing for them in a defensive way you will increase their number too. So design the personal approach with a focus on loyal customers and not on preventing claims.<\/p>\n This requires education and training. sales is much more pro-active, customer service is used to a more reactive approach and that invites a defensive attitude; “there is another customer, what will it be this time.” Changing that into: “I bet five dollar if I can change his mood.” is not an easy task.<\/p>\n Both departments also differ in focus in the way that sales is return-driven, customers service is more often cost (saving) driven.<\/p>\n Alignment of the approach throughout the organization however (both in sales and customer service) is the (only) option: in either department you propose a friendly and personal approach. That includes accepting mistakes… if you have to … with a smile. When sending an apology do it in a responsible way, signed with the name of the executive.<\/p>\n