Chapter Customer Service Strategies 11

May not be posted to a publicly accessible website. Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Section 11.1 In-Store Customer Service

May not be posted to a publicly accessible website.Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Objectives Discuss the roles of personnel and services as elements of in-store customer service. Explain why retailers extend credit to customers.

May not be posted to a publicly accessible website. Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Key Terms customer service attitude gift registry personal shopper corporate gift service consumer credit installment loan customer loyalty

May not be posted to a publicly accessible website. Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Personal Customer Service Customer service is the ability to provide a product or service in the way it has been promised Provided through personnel and customer services

May not be posted to a publicly accessible website. Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Personal Customer Service (Continued) Personnel – Include sales associates, cashiers, managers, and customer service representatives – Common customer service values Product knowledge Company knowledge Attitude. The way a person looks at the world and responds to events Communication skills Tolerance

May not be posted to a publicly accessible website. Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Personal Customer Service (Continued) Customer services vary by retailer – Alterations, returns, delivery and installation, extended store hours, child care – Gift registry. In-store wish list complied by customers – Personal shoppers. Help select products for individual customers based on customer’s preferences – Corporate gift services. Store consultant works with corporate representative to make gift selections Market research may help determine which services are appropriate for a store

May not be posted to a publicly accessible website. Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Credit Credit is considered a customer service strategy Consumer credit is credit given to individual consumers by a retail business – Proprietary credit cards. May only be used in the stores that issued them – Installment loans. Loans paid in regular payments, usually with interest, until the loan is paid in full – Extending credit creates customer loyalty, which is the continued and regular patronage of a business

May not be posted to a publicly accessible website. Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Section 11.2 E-tail Customer Service

May not be posted to a publicly accessible website.Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Objectives Explain the importance of e-tail customer support. Describe training considerations for off-site customer service personnel. Summarize the importance of ergonomics in the workplace.

May not be posted to a publicly accessible website. Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Key Terms call center customer service flow chart asynchronous service automated synchronous service ergonomics

May not be posted to a publicly accessible website. Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. E-tail Customer Support E-tail customer support may be provided through call centers or online support Call centers are remote facilities typically operated by third-party customer support organizations – Customer service representatives are trained to answer questions – Customer service flow charts. Graphic map of possible customer questions and answers

May not be posted to a publicly accessible website. Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. E-tail Customer Service (Continued)

May not be posted to a publicly accessible website. Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. E-tail Customer Service (Continued) Online support can be asynchronous or synchronous – Asynchronous service. Response to a customer question comes at a later time or date Automated . Computer-generated response to a customer Web forms Self-service Blogs and message boards – Synchronous service. Customer receives a response in real time Telephone call Online chat

May not be posted to a publicly accessible website. Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. E-tail Customer Service (Continued)

May not be posted to a publicly accessible website. Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. E-tail Customer Service Personnel Product knowledge – E-tail customer service employees may not have first-hand product experience – May rely on product reference materials Communication skills – Positive employee actions result in customer satisfaction – Active listening – Pace information – Use appropriate grammar and vocabulary

May not be posted to a publicly accessible website. Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Workplace Ergonomics Ergonomics is the science of designing and arranging things people use so they can interact efficiently and safely Includes designing workstations to fit the unique needs of the worker and the equipment used – Eyes. Minimize glare and monitor 18–30 inches away – Wrists and arms. Parallel to the floor and periodically stretch – Neck and back. Top of computer screen is near the line of sight and good back support and posture – Legs. Thighs parallel to the ground and feet flat on the floor

May not be posted to a publicly accessible website. Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Workplace Ergonomics (Continued)

May not be posted to a publicly accessible website. Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Review 1. Identify common customer service values shared by most retail employees. Common customer service values shared by most retail employees include product knowledge, company knowledge, attitude, communication skills, and tolerance. 2. Distinguish between asynchronous and synchronous services. Asynchronous service is when a customer asks a question and the response comes at a later time or date. Synchronous service is a when a customer asks a question and receives a response in real time. Having a staff of representatives to instantly respond to customers takes manpower, equipment, and space.