1. Service Encounter management
Every service encounter is an opportunity to build satisfaction and quality

2. Service encounter or the “Moments of Truth”
It is where promises are kept or broken where the proverbial rubber meets the road.
It is from these service encounters that customers build their perceptions.
These encounters thus present an opportunity to prove its potential as a quality service provider and to increase customer loyalty.

3. Service encounter cascade for a Hotel Visit
Check in
Bell person takes to room
Restaurant meal
Wake up call
checkout

4. Importance of encounters
If a customer is interacting with a firm for the first time, the initial encounter will create a first impression of the organization.
Even when the customer has had multiple interaction with a firm, each individual encounter is important in creating the composite image of the firm in the customers memory.
Many positive experience add up to a composite image of high quality.
Certain encounters are key to customer satisfaction.

5. Types of service encounter
Remote encounter-It occurs without direct human contact.
Phone encounter.
Face to face encounter.

6. Recovery Employee response to service delivery System Failures.
Adaptability-Employee Response to customer Needs and request.
Spontaneity-Unprompted and Unsolicited Employee Actions
Coping-Employee Response to problem customers.

7. General Service Behaviour-Dos and Donts
Theme Do
Donts
Recovery
Acknowledge problem, explain causes, aplogize,compensate/upgrade,layout options, take responsibility
Ignore customers,blame customers,leave customers to “fend for him/herself,downgradeact as if nothing is wrong, pass the buck

8. General Service Behaviour-Dos and Donts
Theme Do
Don'ts
Adaptability
Recognize the seriousness of need, Acknowledge, anticipate, attempt to accommodate, adjust the system, explain rules and policies take responsibility
Ignore promise, but fail to follow through show unwillingness to try, embarrass the customer, laugh at the customer, avoid responsibility,

9. General Service Behavior-Dos and Don'ts
Theme Do
Don't
Spontaneity
Take time, be attentive, anticipate needs, ,listen, ,provide information, show sympathy
Exhibit impatience, Ignore,Yell/laugh/swear,discriminate

10. General Service Behavior-Do’s and Don'ts
Theme Do
Don’t
Coping
Listen, try to accommodate, explain,
Take customer’s dissatisfaction personally, let customer dissatisfaction affect others.

11. Technology based service encounters
Customers interacting with internet-based services, automated phone services, Kiosk services, and services delivered via CD or Video technology or self serviced technology (SST)

12. For satisfying SSTs Solved an intensified need.
Better than an alternative-easy to use save time available when and where the customer needed it, saved money
Did its job-technology failure

13. For dissatisfying SSTs
Technology failure
Process failure
Poor design
Customer-driven failure

14. The evidence of service
People
Process
Physical Evidence
1. Contact employees
2. Customer him/herself
3. Other customer
Operational flow of activities
Steps in process
Flexibility versus standard
Technology versus human
Tangible communication.
Servicescapes
Technology
website

15. Strategies for influencing customer perceptions
Measure and mange customer satisfaction and service quality
Aim for customer quality and satisfaction in Every Service Encounter
Plan for effective recovery
Facilitate Adaptability and flexibility
Encourage Spontaneity
Help Employee cope with problem customers
Manage the dimensions of quality at the encounter level-reliability, responsiveness, assurance, ,empathy, and tangibles

16. Role of service recovery and feedback
CRM is about getting closer to customers in order to understand and meet their needs more effectively it rarely addresses existing customers needs.
Customer care adds significant value representing the voice of the customers.
Position customer care as profit center-Identifying the ROI of service recovery and customers feedback

17. Top management must be committed
Keep the CEO fully briefed with topical,concise and actionableVoice of the customer feedback.
Customer care starts at the frontline-they should be empowered to resolve most common issues and know the responses to common situations.

18. Make it easy and pleasant for customers to contact
Customer should know how to contact.
They should be able to choose whatever contact medium best suits them.
Contacting should be easy
Contact should be received by knowledgeable, polite and empowered individuals who are obviously interested in understanding and meeting customer need.
Issues raised should not keep recurring.
Information requested should be readily available, easily understood and free of jargon.

19. Effective resolution process
Any investment in customer care will be wasted unless both customer care department the frontline achieve high level of contact satisfaction.
Research studies over recent years have reported that satisfaction levels with service recovery remains disappointingly low.
Contacts need to be monitored and performance evaluated.

20. Contacts need to be adequately recorded and reported.
Voice of customer feedback relies on an effective process for logging, analyzing and reporting on customers contact.

21. Recommendation Timely reports Actionable findings Tailored to needs
Provide an economic imperative to act
Concentrate on what is important
Effective presentation
Participative reporting
Dedicated knowledge manager

22. Develop a relationship and communication channel with internal clients for voice of the customer feedback.
Use the customer care channel for soliciting positive feedback.

23. Early research suggested it cost ten times more to acquire a new customer but, today it ranges from 2 to 20 times depending on the industry. it therefore make sound economic sense to raise the profile of customer care.