Customer Service: A Practical Approach Fifth Edition Elaine K. Harris

The Challenges of Customer Service Chapter 2: The Challenges of Customer Service

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

Expectations: Our personal vision of the result that will come from our experience.

Levels of Expectations Primary expectations: the customer’s most basic requirements of an interaction. Secondary expectations: Expectations based on our previous experiences that are enhancements to our primary expectations.

Scope of Influence: Our ability to influence others based on our perceptions or experiences.

Reputation Management: The process of identifying how a company is perceived and establishing a action plan to correct, maintain, or enhance the company’s reputation.

A company with a good reputation Is very responsive to customers Is a company you can trust Delivers on its promises to customers Provides excellent value to customers Has excellent communications Is ethical and honest Conducts business in a human/caring way Has excellent top management Is able to adapt to changes in the industry

A company with a good reputation (continued) 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.

Credibility: Made up of the combination of our current knowledge, reputation, and professionalism.

Tips for cultivating credibility Practice consistency Keep your word Develop your expertise Become a teammate with your coworkers Show your dedication to customers Treat all of your customers and coworkers 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.

Ethics: A set of principles that govern the conduct of an individual or group.

Ethics checklist Is it legal? Is it fair? How do I feel about it? Would the court of public opinion find my behavior incorrect? Am I fearful of what those I trust would say about my actions?

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.

Current Issues of Customer Service (Continued) 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 Immediacy of response Feedback from customer to customer service provider Outsourcing of all or part of customer service functions Nontraditional examples of customer service