By: Brent Brown, Director National Chain Accounts

Customer Service relates to the service provided to customers before, during and after a purchase. Although it takes extra resources, time and money - excellent customer service is a first priority for all customers: potential, new and existing.
I want to take this time to express my appreciation to our customer service team at Winona. As sales people, we count on our service team every day, and rely on them to deal with our customers daily. I’m amazed at how much they can handle, and how they do it. Orders, confirmations, timing on deliveries, following up on feedback, exceeding customer’s expectations…it’s a barrage of responsibilities every day.
No matter the size of a company, excellent customer service needs to be at the heart of the business model. Many companies fail to realize how important good customer service is to the health of the business. It seems like the thought is fleeting, and we don’t really pay attention until we have an experience with a service person who is really exceptional, or really poor. Those are the times we think about whether we want to do business with the company again.
As a consumer, I’m amazed when I connect with a customer service agent who doesn’t pay attention to what I need. This past week, a service agent at a local RV business rudely told me that I needed to wait on him until he was ready to help me. I was taken back when I heard this. I waited over an hour, and he never called back. I felt unimportant and confused. I found what I needed at another location, and began thinking about the customer service we provide to our Winona customers.
I get compliments from my customers on a regular basis about how our team treats them with respect, finds solutions to their problems, and gives them the answers they need very quickly. It makes me feel comfortable that our company provides friendly, reliable contacts that are available to customers when they call.
A product is only excellent when it is backed up by the company that sells it. Excellent customer service is part of the quality we provide with our products. Customer service isn’t just important, it’s a critical force that can make the difference between an average company and an excellent company. I’m happy that we pay close attention to that, with a team that I’m proud to be working with.