After Sales Service is the service provided to the customers by a company or business organization after selling its product or service to the customers. But you must have seen in your everyday life that you must have met many shopkeepers or merchants whose goal is to sell their product by whatever means, even if they have to lie for it.
Now think that you went to a shop and you bought some items but later you realized that it is not according to your requirement. Let’s say it was a shirt that you bought for a member of your household, but as soon as you give the shirt to the member of your household and they see it wearing it, they find it a little loose, now they want you Return it and get another shirt of their size.
But when you reach the shop to return the shirt, the shopkeeper talks rudely and refuses to return the shirt. So imagine if you would go back to that shop in your life to buy clothes again. Not in our opinion, so After Sales Service is very important to increase customer base, trust and sales.
Today, whatever we see big business organizations, the need of the people and the satisfaction of the customers are the two main reasons behind their growing up, if people do not need that product then they will not buy it, and if they are not satisfied by buying that product. If so, then they themselves will not buy the product of that company or business organization again.
Rather, by telling the truth about that product to others, they will refuse to buy it. Hence the after-sales service becomes very important to provide customer satisfaction.
What is After Sales Service?
After Sales Service refers to the after-sales services provided to the customers, such as bike makers, even after the sale of the bike, for one year, free service for a few weeks, maintenance etc. is provided for free. Replacing an item sold in small shops, returning a customer’s money if there is a shortage, etc. can be examples of after-sales service.
Whereas companies can provide after-sales services to their customers like product installation, user training, warranty, online support, return/replacement etc. After-sales service is a very important part of non-price competition in business because it can encourage people to buy the product. If the price of the product of a business organization is slightly higher than the others, then it can be easily justified with this tool.
Importance Of After Sales Service:
Customers are the most important for the success of any business organization, so the customer can also be called the asset of the business organization. If any business organization wants to increase its wealth, then it becomes very important for it to satisfy its customers. It is meant to say that after sales service becomes very important for customer satisfaction, its other importance can be understood from the following list.
- After sales service, business organizations try to satisfy their customers through a number of processes that make customers proud of their value.
- The purpose of After Sales Service is to fulfill the needs and demands of the customers even after the sale, due to which the customers start praising the brand or product after being quite satisfied. And at present, every entrepreneur knows very well how beneficial or harmful a single word from the mouth of a real customer can be for a brand or product.
- After sales services help ensure that the product meets or exceeds customer expectations and delivers better results.
- Through the activities carried out under the after sales service, business organizations can find out whether the customers are happy with their product or not, so this is an important aspect of sales management that can be neglected by any business.
- After Sales Service contributes significantly to long-term retention and satisfaction of customers, thereby creating loyal customers who add value to the brand.
- Customers start trusting the brand and speak good things about the brand to others through their mouths which increases the customer base.
- Keep in mind that a satisfied and happy customer connects many more people to that particular brand and plays a vital role in earning the organization’s income in the long run.
- After sales service proves to be helpful in strengthening the bond between the customers and the organization.
Types of After Sales Service:
Even after sales, a business organization needs to provide many types of services to its customers, first of all, the business organization should try to make the delivery of the product on time. And when the product reaches the customer, usually most of the business organizations adopt various After Sales Service, whose list is as follows.
1. Pre Installation Services:
Whenever a product is sold, the seller provides the customer with a manual for its installation or use. Because currently most of the products come with user manual.
While the installation and use process may vary depending on the nature and size of the product, some can be installed by the customer himself, there are also some products that require specific installation steps.
Air conditioners, RO machines, etc. are the products that require technical expertise to install. In such a situation, if a company offers free installation to customers as an After Sales Service, then its sales can be high.
Industrial machinery, household electrical items, copier machines, etc. require technical expertise at the time of installation. Providing demonstration to customers is also a part of installation. And by this the customer gets to know about the functions of the product.
2. User Training
The second most important type of After Sales Service is user training, this tool called user training is very important for any business organization that manufactures or sells industrial machinery. Apart from this, it is also very important in the case of surgery as the doctor should be proficient in operating the instruments to perform the surgery.
It is meant to say that if any person operates industrial machinery without taking training, then it can be harmful. Therefore, companies that manufacture surgical equipment and industrial machinery provide complete and proper training to their customers.
3. Warranty Services
Warranty services are a common type of after sales service provided by almost every company and business organization. Warranty Services include repair and replacement of certain parts of the product for a period of time. For example, various mobile companies provide warranty of up to one year on their mobiles.
Not only mobile phones, but almost all products get warranty for some time, whether it is a vehicle battery, a company’s LED bulb, LED television or any other item, warranty is seen on almost every product. May go .
4. Online support
The customer has bought the product, but he is facing some complications in using it, so the question arises that how the customer should contact the seller or the company? Keeping this problem of the customers in mind, at present various businessmen Organizations provide online support to their customers.
Customers can get their doubts resolved by contacting them through online mediums like email, social media pages, whatsapp, live chat etc. Presently almost all e commerce websites are providing this type of after sales service to their customers so that customer complaints and problems can be redressed effectively in a reasonable time.
5. Returns and Replacements
This type of After Sales Service has also become a bit more trend after the increasing trend of online shopping. Currently if you buy any item online, most of the products are returnable or replacement for a certain period of time. And these replacements are given by the company to the customers free of cost though it is subject to certain terms and conditions.
In some cases replacement of the entire product is possible and in some cases only the defective part is replaced. In case of return, the Company will refund the full amount to the customer but also subject to the terms and conditions.
Techniques of After Sales Service:
By now we have understood the importance of After Sales Service in any business, now let’s talk about some of its techniques, by adopting which the entrepreneur can try to make his business successful.
- The sales professionals of the business organization have to maintain contact with the customers even after the deal is done. Never ignore customer calls, emails, messages etc.
- Help customers with product installation, maintenance, operation, etc Should help customers to deal with.
- If a customer complains about the product being broken or damaged, it is necessary to exchange it without any hassle. Make customers feel comfortable listening to their complaints.
- To provide After Sales Service, create a section in your brand’s website where customers can easily register their complaints. And appoint a competent officer to deal with these complaints in a stipulated time.
- Be sure to take feedback from your customers about the product after the sale or the feedback will help in bringing about changes in the product according to the customers.
- Annual Maintenance Contract (AMC) can also be provided at affordable rates.
- Simplify the policies of exchanging the product and keep them in mind keeping in mind the favor of the customers.