The challenges of customer service(chapter 2) Elements of success Assess own strengths/weaknesses Understand customers and their needs Be familiar with barriers to excellent customer service Recognize power of perceptions Understand expectations Credibility & values Barriers to Excellent Customer Service Laziness Poor communication skills Poor time management Attitude Moodiness Lack of adequate training Inability to handle stress Insufficient authority Servicing customers on autopilot Inadequate staffing Power of Perception
We must be aware of the perceptions of others. Perception is the way we see something based on our experience. Everyone s perception is slightly different. Perceptions are developed over a period of time. Ex: How we view Rogers as a company Expectations: Our personal vision of the result that will come from our experience. Expectations may be positive or negative. Organizations frequently misinterpret what their customers expectations are. Levels of Expectations Primary expectations: the customer s most basic requirements of an interaction. (ex: satisfying Hunger) Secondary expectations: expectations based on our previous experiences that are enhancements to our primary expectations. (ex: good service, tasty food ) Scope of Influence: Our ability to influence others based on our perceptions or experiences. Every person s scope is different. The average number of people influenced by our opinions is 7 15. Studies show that it costs about five times as much to attract new customers as to keep existing customers. Happy customers can attract new customers at virtually no cost to us.
Reputation Management: The process of identifying how a company is perceived and establishing an action plan to correct, maintain, or enhance the company s reputation. Customers may be attracted to a company because of its reputation more than any other single factor. A Company with a Good Reputation Is Trustworthy Demonstrates excellence in its management at all levels Is law abiding Is responsive Follows Through on promises and commitments Is ethically Responsible Is a positive Public Citizen Has accurate and strong financials Communicates effectively Shows ongoing positive social responsibility A Company with a Good Reputation (cont d) Is a good citizen Is a progressive company Is cooperative Has a record of strong financial performance Treats employees with respect Is a technological leader in the industry
Is committed to the environment Complies with state/federal regulations Is successful in diversifying operations Techniques for Exceeding Customers Expectations Become familiar with your customers. Ask your customers what their expectations are. Tell your customers what they can expect. Live up to their expectations. Maintain consistency. Communicate with customers using the methods they want to use Credibility: Made up of the combination of our current knowledge, reputation, and professionalism. Credibility encourages trust. Believable, Reliable. Tips for Cultivating Credibility Practice consistency Keep your word Develop your expertise Become a teammate with your co-workers Show your dedication to customers Treat all of your customers and co-workers with the same high level of respect
Apologize if you are wrong Remember that credibility is much harder to regain than it is to keep Values: A combination of our beliefs, perceptions, and ideas about the appropriate response to a situation. Corporate values and employee values must be joined for excellent customer service to occur. Ethics: A set of principles that govern the conduct of an individual or group. There are really no shortcuts when it comes to telling the truth and determining an appropriate course of action. Current Issues of Customer Service It is frequently difficult to measure the financial benefits of customer service. It may be challenging to convince some financial managers of the long-term payoffs. Customers have high expectations of what they hope to gain from the people with whom they do business. Frequently, customer service providers do not know what those expectations are. Customers have grown accustomed to improved levels of customer service and expect considerable latitude in customer service, but the resulting cost is becoming prohibitive for many businesses. Technology provides the opportunity for faster responses to customer questions.
It also creates the requirement that customer service providers have additional training. Customer service is an opportunity that no professional can afford to ignore. Customer service is frequently the distinguishing difference between two or more companies that offer the same product or service. New Trends in Customer Service Accessibility for the customer (reduces standard questions, increases unique requests) ex: Purolator tracking software, knowing their account # Immediacy of response to customers, also due to employee empowerment to deal with issues Feedback from customer to customer service provider Outsourcing of all or part of customer service functions (ex: help lines overseas) Reduced wait time and increased customer retention. Nontraditional examples of customer service (ex: informational newsletters)