Year after year, in survey after survey, customer service tops the list of consumer complaints. From customer service representatives who are merely uninformed to those who are downright surly, many of us have experienced firsthand the problems with customer service related issues today.

No one who works in the field of sales can afford to ignore these customer service problems, since issues on the customer service side of the business could literally be stealing sales from the hard working sales team. No matter how skillful the sales team, it will be unable to overcome deep rooted problems with customer care and follow up. It is essential that every organization, from the smallest mom and pop organization to the largest multinational enterprise, take the issue of customer service seriously.

Finding and rooting out problems with customer service is not always as easy as it may seem, and it is important for companies to utilize a number of methods to get at the heart of the problem. From surveys of existing and former customers to plain old networking, there are plenty of ways to find problems with customer service and work to correct them.

After the problems have been identified it is important to strike at the root of the problem. If the problem stems from a lack of knowledge on the part of the customer service team, then a series of intensive training sessions may be able to reverse the negatives. It is important, of course, for this intensive training to be coupled with a program of ongoing training and career development.

If employee dissatisfaction is the heart of the matter it is important for company management to take the steps necessary to resolve the problem and create a happier and more willing team of professionals. From reassigning those who are not cut out for a career in customer service to rewarding star performers, there are plenty of ways to create a customer service team that augments sales instead of undermining them.

Of course teamwork is an essential part of any organization. It is absolutely essential for the sales team and the customer service team to work under a single umbrella, with the shared goal of helping the company grow and thrive. By giving employees a stake in the business and helping them thrive as the company thrives businesses of all sizes can grow their sales and please their customers.