Here, there and everywhere, discussion abounds about the vital importance of customer service to company success and growth. Chasms have grown larger, with the haves and have-nots.

Impacted by the pandemic, social upheaval and economic challenges, many companies are scoring ever-lower on the customer service excellence scale. Then, there are those enlightened companies that see how top-notch customer service leads to better profits and sustained growth.

Think Costco, an extremely successful company with no formal marketing and advertising department. They made their bones – and continue to grow – by providing superb customer service. In turn, highly positive word-of-mouth and reputation have become their most effective and enduring marketing program.

What’s the moral of this story for product manufacturers? More specifically, how can labels and packaging further customer service objectives and help grow the company? Let us count the ways:

1. Inform. In today’s world fraught with counterfeiting, product recalls and misinformation, it’s important for product manufacturers to give consumers accurate and helpful information. While labels and packaging themselves only offer so much room to provide useful information, digital options abound. For example, a QR code or an Augmented Reality label can direct people to a whole world of information. While there are many opportunities to promote a product, this should be a case of offering helpful, how-to direction that’s solid and error-free. Customers will be thankful and loyal for it.

2. Interact. While chatbots and other artificial intelligence tools can provide a level of interaction and support, it’s more important than ever to offer multi-channel communication options that include a live person. So, in addition to directing folks through digital codes, include a real, live phone number right on the label/package! (Let people know if this also is a texting option.) Or, put in an email address if so desired, subject to space limitations. These should be in addition to the web addresses already on many labels.

Realize that this is only one step in the process. When people do call, text or email requesting assistance, it must be a competent and responsive communications loop. The company rep at the other end of the interaction must be prepared and empowered to solve problems, provide real help, and show proficiency along the way. Giving canned, irrelevant or inaccurate feedback does much more harm than good in the customer service world.
In many ways, the only thing worse than no timely response is one that shows a complete lack of understanding or attention. If a customer asks three questions, answer all three completely – not one or two with incomplete information!

3. Entertain. More than ever, we all need entertainment and engagement. Labels with humorous content or graphics can do the trick. So can compelling statements showing a commitment to improving the world in some way. Or how about labels that are so intriguing and novel that looking at them provides joy or inspires some action on our behalf? This customer service act in and of itself will drive marketing, and in turn sales.

4. Consummate customer service commitment. Just as Costco has cultivated many loyal, long-term customers around the globe with the best customer support policies around, so too can product manufacturers in instilling goodwill, comfort and allegiance through label/packaging disclosures. Costco’s incredibly liberal product return policy makes it easy for consumers to feel comfortable and safe buying their products, knowing that returns will be accepted without question or hassle.

What can product manufacturers do to emulate this type of goodwill? For one, in lieu of a “100% satisfaction guarantee” or similar verbiage that so many products carry, make a short, impactful statement on the label that convinces people they have recourse if there’s a problem. People need to know that they’re cared about, and original, heartfelt statements go much further than canned commentary.

5. Roll it all into marketing. Armed with a positive customer service reputation, reviews, and ratings, product manufacturers can extend all this into a marketing campaign where performance matches promises. While this authentic and transparent approach always has proven beneficial to the company and all its stakeholders – including customers, employees, partners, vendors and investors – it’s now becoming critical to success. Gone are the days when grandiose, unfulfilled advertising and marketing promises will hold sway long-term.

While social media has created many positive, as well as negative, outcomes, one thing is for sure: its role as the “ultimate lie detector” is proving persuasive to make companies tell the truth and do what they say they will do – first, last and always.


Mark Lusky is a marketing communications professional who has worked with Lightning Labels, an all-digital custom label printer in Denver, CO, USA, since 2008. Find Lightning Labels on Facebook for special offers and label printing news.