1. Listening Case Competition
Christine Lewandowski BAS, RT(R)
Lisa Whitlatch BAS, RT (R)(M)(BS)
Suzanne Celmer-Harter BS, MT(ASCP)

2. Problem Statement
Broad: Communication among staff and management prevents problem resolution resulting in increased customer dissatisfaction.
Narrow: There is a need to decrease the cycle time in complaint resolution to increase customer satisfaction and ensure return business.

3. Current Cycle of Problem
Customer arrives in cafeteria
Makes selection
Broken Toaster
Makes complaint
No resolution
Increases customer dissatisfaction
Customer complains to manager who is surprised at the issue

4. Analysis of Problem Customer dissatisfaction
Cafeteria manager is allegedly not knowledgeable about complaint
Staff claims to have relayed complaint information
Customers (internal/external) experience loss of trust
Communication/Follow through procedures are ineffective in current state for problem resolution in a timely manner

5. Solution for Immediate Problem (HEAT)
Hear: Listen to customer concerns
Empathize: Be aware of others feelings, validate
Apologize: Manager must apologize to customer for lack of attention in timely manner
Take Action: Establish trust in customer relations that it will not reoccur=Employees and customers must all be valued as customers
Manager must address lack of communication with staff
Staff may need to be acclimated to professional behavior and not air grievance of management to customer

6. What’s the bigger picture?
Issue with toaster complaint is trivial
Lack of communication to resolve customer complaints
Lack of follow through results in customer dissatisfaction
Satisfied Customers Tell Three Friends, Angry Customers Tell 3,000 (Blackshaw, 2008)
Decrease in return customers=decrease in revenue=decrease in sustainability of operations

7. Leadership
Current leadership is autocratic (not overly concerned with others concerns)
Assumptions made that current state of operations is satisfactory despite complaints otherwise
Not listening to internal and external customers
Recommend participant leadership
Share decision making with group members
Employee empowerment to find solutions
Teamwork in communication to communicate effectively

8. Proposed Solution
Address current state of cycle time for complaint resolution
Implement effective communication among staff
Implement daily team huddle to increase communication
Listen effectively to act properly

9. Plan of Action Implement a change in the management approach
Enable for open communication among staff
Horizontal communication
Upward communication
Downward communication
Establish a measurable progress in change
Team huddle facilitates open communication daily
Communication board established

10. Plan Continued Establish a customer satisfaction survey
Use 360 feedback
Utilize feedback to implement changes
Verify changes are implemented properly
Make changes as necessary to best serve customer

11. Changes in Management Approach
Promises made to rectify complaints must be kept
The management of these promises and subsequent expectations are key to customer satisfaction and long-term relationship development (Weber, 2013)
Satisfied customers are return customers

12. Plan for Resolution Establish a team
Develop customer survey
Make the survey visible and available
Establish a daily management review of complaints
Maintain a procedure for a follow through timeline for complaints
Make communication a priority
Manager must perform customer call backs to follow up
Service recovery implementation

13. The ROI of improving management style is substantial
82% of consumers say the number one factor that leads to a great customer service experience is having their issues resolved quickly.
Reducing your customer defection rate by 5% can increase your profitability by 25 to 125%.
A 2% increase in customer retention has the same effect as decreasing costs by 10%.
70% of buying experiences are based on how the customer feels they are being treated.

14. Predicted Outcome
Increase satisfaction=increase profits

15. Ideal Cycle Customer enters cafeteria Selects item
Satisfied/Dissatisfied with selection or equipment available
Makes complaint to first staff member available
Staff addresses complaint with manager in team huddle
Manager acknowledges complaint and communicates resolution to staff and customer. Promotes trust with internal and external customers
Customer feels satisfied and returns business

16. Assumptions
We assume that staff and management are receptive to change
We assume that customers will return if their concerns are addressed
We assume that the manager was not told of information and was surprised
We assume all staff and management are honest and ethical

17. Missing Information Timeframe of cycle of initial complaint
Measurable effect of customer satisfaction quantitatively
Current morale of staff
History of management style
History of communication with staff and management

18. Q & A
Please feel free to ask any questions