My first proper job was as a Telesales Operator at The Sentinel newspaper, working in the classified advertising department. I spoke to members of the public placing adverts to sell their unwanted items, which ranged from cars and houses to furniture and pets. It was 1985, and I was 19. Back then, The Sentinel was the only daily newspaper in the area, holding a monopoly over advertising. People had nowhere else to go, yet I still took pride in delivering excellent customer service to every person I spoke to.

There were a couple of things that were important to me at that time:

• I always introduced myself at the start of each conversation, believing it made the interaction more friendly and personal. (I still do this nearly 40 years later.)
• I used the customer’s name throughout the call, as I felt it showed respect. This principle remains with me to this day.
• I made sure to smile while on the phone—no one wants to speak to someone who sounds miserable! Yes, you guessed it, I still smile when I’m on calls.
• I ended each conversation with something along the lines of, “Thank you for calling today, and good luck selling your item.”

Times have certainly changed. There are now countless ways to sell unwanted items, and in most cases, people don’t even need to speak to another human being. It’s all done online. With so many options available, customer loyalty isn’t seen as important as it once was. In today’s hyper-connected world, switching to a competitor can be as simple as clicking a button.

However, 97% of consumers still say that customer service is critical to brand loyalty (Source: Forbes). So, why wouldn’t you work hard to keep the customers you already have?

According to 70% of customers, a great experience must be fast, convenient, helpful, and, most importantly, friendly (Source: Adobe). Reflecting on my first telesales job in 1985, it’s clear that the fundamentals of good customer service haven’t changed.

My motto for customer service has always been: Treat your customers as you would want to be treated – be remembered for how you made them feel.

So, does customer service really matter? Absolutely. 1,000,000% YES—it truly does.