In America, customer service continues long after the sale. Many products come with a money-back guarantee. Expensive items-like cars, computers or stereos-often have a warranty that ensures trouble-free use for a period of a year or more. Advertisements regularly include the motto "Your satisfaction is guaranteed." So if there is a problem with the product, customers can take it back. The customer service representative will often allow them to exchange the item or return it for a full refund. Here's a trivia question: Do you know what's the busiest time for most customer service representatives? The week after Christmas.
在美国,顾客服务在成交之后仍持续良久,很多货品都是保证可以退款的,像是车子、電脑或音音像这样高价位的商品,通常会有保证期限,以保证一年或更久的时间內使用该产品没有任何问题。广告中通常会有「保证让你满意」的标语。所以产品若是有问题,顾客可以把它送回去,而客戶服务人员通常会让他们换商品或是全额退钱。这里有一个小问题:你知道什么时候是大部份顾客服务人员最忙的时候吗?圣诞节过后的那个礼拜。
For many American customers, service is everything. If a person receives poor service from a store, he probably will avoid shopping there in the future. On the other hand, customers often remain loyal to a business that has excellent service even if their prices are high. Customer service in America grows out of the belief that "the customer is always right." That may not always be true. But, as someone has said, the customer is always the customer.
对许多美国的顾客而言,服务就是一切,如果有人在某一家店里受到很糟的服务,他以后可能就会尽量不再去那家店购物。另外一方面,一家店若提供上乘的服务,就算价钱高一点,顾客们通常会保持对该店的忠诚度。美式的顾客服务源于一个信念:顾客永远是对的。这或许不见得全对,不过顾客永远都是顾客!