STANDARD-3.2 & 3.3 Customer Service. Satisfied –vs- Dissatisfied Customer.

STANDARD-3.2 & 3.3

Customer Service

Satisfied –vs- Dissatisfied Customer

Well-trained employees are the key to satisfied customers

Customers=Revenue=Wages=Employees

If customers are not happy, they will take their business elsewhere. Customers are the reason that employees have a job!

Handling Customer Complaints

When a customer complains, look at it as an opportunity to improve.

Share as a class some scenarios or experiences when a bad customer experience happened.

Customers may be difficult for several reasons: upset because something was mishandled by the

company frustrated about a delay in handling a request Impatient about a company’s response time Just having a bad day

5 Steps for handling customer complaints

Step 1 – What is going on?: Assure the customer you can help and then listen carefully. Determine the reason for the problem without assigning blame.

Apologize Restate the Customer’s opening statement Listen Carefully Write down key details Display empathy Remain Composed

Step 2 – What caused the problem?: Identify the root cause.

Investigate the situation. Determine if the customer has a valid complaint. Apologize again, if necessary. Explain what happened: stick to the facts. Keep

emotion out of it.

Step 3 – What can I do?: Thank the customer for the opportunity to fix things. Rectify the situation.

Tell the customer what you are going to do to solve the problem.

Focus on What You CAN do. Offer the best solution you can.+ Never Assign blame. Show Compassion. Offer an alternative solution.

Step 4 – What can I say?: Restore the relationship. Follow up to make sure customer is now satisfied.

Thanks the customer for allowing you to make things right.

Tell what you will do to avoid future problems.

Offer some sort of compensation or restitution.

Make a follow-up call or visit.

Step 5 – What needs to be done?: Fix any practices or procedures so the problem doesn’t occur again.

Analyze what went wrong. Review company’s policies & procedures Change to make things better.

Relationship Building: Customer Expectations

Customer exchanges can be quick and small or complex and complicated based on the following business:

Service business Product business Wholesale/vendor business Multi-Dimentional business Price point Quality/prestige pricing

Categorize the following customer transactions into small & quick or intimate & complex:

Purchasing home insurance Buying pack of gum Doctor’s visit Buying dinner at a restaurant Picking up dry cleaning Depositing money Purchasing a cup of coffee Buying a car

small & immediate : Buying pack of gum Picking up dry cleaning Depositing money @

bank Purchasing a cup of

coffee

intimate & complex: Purchasing home

insurance Doctor’s visit Buying dinner at a

restaurant Buying a car

Regardless of the type of transaction, customer contacts can result in relationships. Even when it is only one interaction, customers judge a company based on their relationship with that employee.

Repeat Business

When customers offer repeat business, there is an opportunity to maintain on ongoing relationship & create loyalty by:

Remembering their name. Remembering something about them. Learning their tastes & preferences. Making the customer feel valued. Tell them you appreciate their business. Find ways to give them more than expected.

Managing Customer Expectations

Managing expectations in today’s turbulent business world is indeed a challenge. Customer expectations affect a range of interactions between the company and the customer to include: Service Responsiveness Service Capability Product Functionality Project Success

These types of expectations vary from one person to another, one situation to another & one day to another.

Listen to customers

Customer want communication. Keep them informed of timetables

Customers want what is promised. Don’t promise more than can be delivered.

Customers want a company to do what you say. Don’t say one thing, and do something else.

How Customer Expectations Change Over Time

CASE STUDYA few winters ago, a longtime customer called the Schmitt Furniture store in New Albany with an unusual request. She needed some firewood.

Louis Schmitt, the company's vice president, said the store did what came naturally: It sent a truck out with a load of firewood.

* Discuss how companies can respond to customer

expectations and be proactive.

CHANGE

When appropriate, a company’s marketing mix must change according to the change in demand for the products and services.

Being responsive to changes can increase customer loyalty & satisfaction.

Increasing customer loyalty & satisfaction equals increased profitability!