Customer Service Management

Customer service management has always been a concern for many businesses. It is becoming a bigger issue, as many organizations realize the advantages of managing the relationships with customers. The benefits of good customer service management will increase, as an organization begins to provide effective and efficient customer support. Small and large organizations should embrace the importance of developing a good rapport with customers. It is always helpful to stay informed on the latest techniques that can enhance one’s abilities to develop a valued relationship with customers.

Great customer service is vital to support the long-term growth of a business. Good customer service is the lively hood of any organization. Many companies have sales and offer many discounted promotions to bring in new customers. This type of strategy is great and works good, but unless those same customers want to continue to do business with your organization, the business will not thrive. Good customer service will bring repeat and referral customers.

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If a customer leaves an organization with a positive experience, they will pass it along to others.

Referrals are great for a company; it means that a customer has gained trust in the business and thinks well of them enough to tell another about their product or service. (McNair, Perry, 2000). A vital aspect of managing great customer service is being able to form a relationship with the customer. When attempting to form a relationship it is important to be watchful of what is said and not said. If a business fails to form a relationship with a potential customer, they will potentially loose business to someone who has left an Impression.

Being courteous is one great way to leave a lasting impression. A few key practices will help ensure a business is on the right track with providing great customer service. (McNair, Perry, 2000). A business should always answer the phone. The speaker on the other line should make sure to say the name of the business, so the customer will be sure they contacted the right business. If the person at the business does not clearly state the business’ name while answering the phone ,it can make the customer unsure and uneasy. It could possibly make them feel they are being deceived in some way.

An organization should not let the customer believe they are going to receive services that the organization can not provide. A business should be reliable. Reliability helps build a trusting relationship. If any portion of an agreement changes between a business and a customer the client should be notified immediately. This shows the customer that the business is being up front and keeping them informed. If an agreement is broken, with no fore warning the trust is also broken with the customer. Organizations should always listen to their customers.

It is important to find out exactly what the customer wants. When a business does not listen to their customer, the consumer will leave that establishment without their needs being met. By listening to the customer, the business can give appropriate responses and suggestions to make a good decision of what would be best for that particular consumer. Customers have different needs, and a big part of customer service is knowing how to serve the consumer. (Zemke, 1998). Providing good customer service also means dealing with complaints.

Complaints let a business know what areas they can improve on. If a customer is dissatisfied with a product or service, it is vital to discuss the situation with the customer. Talking with the customer lets the business know where it went wrong, how it can do better and how to rectify the situation with the dissatisfied customer. It is also critical to keep one’s composure. It is easy for a complaint to create tension between the business and the customer. It is important to stay calm and reassure the customer that the business can make right, what went wrong.

( Boden, 2001). When dealing with an angry customer it is important to know the answers to the questions they have. This will help lower any hostile behavior they have towards the you, because they see you are trying to help. The customer wants their problem solved right then. If you can’t solve their whole problem, just trying to help them will ease their anger. If they see you as making a genuine effort on their behalf, they are much less likely to be hostile towards you personally. (Boden, 2001). Customers want to feel they have choices and alternatives.

They do not want to feel helpless, or trapped, or at the mercy of the "system". If choices were offered to customers whenever possible, that would prevent or ease tensions with the individual or business. There are always choices to offer. Customers respond positively to being offered choices. It lessons their sense of helplessness. One of the most important things an angry person wants, is to be acknowledged. People want to feel you are making the effort to understand their situation, and their emotional reactions to it.

Often, the simple act of acknowledging that a person is upset will help to calm them down, provided the acknowledgment is phrased and "toned" correctly. The most common error employees/businesses make when dealing with an angry client is to ignore the feelings being expressed. They tend to overlook what the client is telling them and shift immediately into a problem-solving mode. Unfortunately, customers perceive this approach as uncaring, unfeeling, and unhelpful, thus intensifying their anger. It is mission critical to acknowledge expressed emotions.

Managing good customer service also entails being helpful to customers, even if there is no potential gain from aiding them. Once that customer has been helped by that business, they will have an imprint of that in their mind. The next time they do need that product or service they will remember the helpfulness of the business even thought they did not profit from then. (Zemke, 1998). It is also important to train the staff to always be helpful to the customers, courteous to anyone they speak to, and knowledgeable about their product or service.

It is a good idea to explain to the employees what it means to provide good customer service. Over time good customer service will bring new customers and keep the existing ones. Even if blunders happen with a customer, good customer service can fix the problem such as, being late for an appointment with a customer. (Zemke, 1998). Being late for an appointment or meeting with a customer is not a good thing, but there are situations where you are delayed due to circumstances beyond your control, or, because you needed to do something for the benefit of the customer.

It is crucial to always apologize after being late. It lets the customer know that you are sincere and care about them. It also demonstrates concern for the customer’s time. After explaining the reasoning for being late it is good to offer the customer a choice of weather or not they need to reschedule. Even thought the individual made a mistake, good customer service can still be provided. (Bacal, 2004). An individual may also have a situation where they are helping one customer and a second customer comes and interrupts the conversation. This is a very hard position to be in.

Even though one customer came before the other, both of them need to be treated equally. The first priority is always the first customer that had your attention. Limit the conversation with the second customer and keep it brief, while reassuring the customer that they will have your attention soon. If the question can be answered in a 3 second answer such as yes or no, then that is okay. There is no reason to make a customer wait five or ten minutes for a one-word answer. (Bacal, 2004). Customer service is not only for customers. It is always to be used within an organization. Employees are also customers.

They are called internal customers. An internal customer is anyone within an organization who at any time is dependent on anyone else within the organization. Customer service is a company issue. It is not just one department’s responsibility. Good customer service within an organization understands that everybody supports everyone in the company. (Zemke, 1998). If a company supports each other by practicing good customer service skills within, they probably are or will become a company with an excellent service reputation. Everyone within the organization has an affect on the outside customer.

Companies that practice outstanding customer service find it is easier to attract and keep customers. Companies that practice outstanding internal customer service find it easier to attract and keep good employees. Employees who practice outstanding internal service find it easier to keep and enhance their careers. The value of a customer is priceless. It is important to spend time and have a relationship with them, so when they need a certain product or service they will choose your business over another’s. It is also vital to spend money on attracting new customers, but also working hard to keep the existing ones.

To maintain good customer service businesses should always make sure they address customers wants and needs. If a customer is satisfied they are guaranteed to return. deals with clients must have the authority to handle complaints. References Bacal, R. ( 2004). Perfect Phrases for Customer Service. McGraw-Hill Boden, A. (2001). The Handling Complaints Pocketbook. Management Pocketbooks LTD Ford, L. , McNair, D. , Perry, B. (2000). Exceptional Customer Service: Going Beyond Your Good Service to Exceed the Customer’s Expectation. Adams Media Coorporation. Zemke, R. (1998). Best Practices in Customer Service. HRD Press.