Communicating with Customers

COMMUNICATING WITH CUSTOMERS
PO 3

Customer Service Message
Photograph of an organisation/business exterior.
Negative:  The front of this shop is not very inviting because the windows don’t have much clothing/products in them, it does not tell the customer what they are selling.   In fact, you can’t really tell what’s being sold.
The entrance is very dark.
The upper story window is messy and disorganised.
Recommendations
I would recommend putting more lighting on the outside, at the entrance, plus more lighting on the windows, so the customer can see exactly what is for sale.
Put mannequins on the bottom and top windows, showing the customer what clothing is on sale inside, and some of the other products they sell, e.g. curtains and children’s clothing.
http://guineys.ie/
 

Customer Service Message
Photograph of an organisation/business exterior
Positive:  This photograph shows the Woodstock Hotel which is a beautiful hotel close to the centre of Ennis and yet has a country feel to it.   The entrance is warm and inviting, with lovely lighting and stained glass.  The cut stone gives this hotel character.  The entrance also caters for the disabled with wheelchair access.There are large flower pots that have evergreen shrubs planted, which breaks up the grey of the stone.

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Customer Service Message
A screen shot of an organisation’s website.
Positive:  Guiney’s have a very good website, showing all the departments that you can browse through.  It shows you what’s best value at the moment and weekly deals that are in store at present.  It tells you that they accept the One4all vouchers from An post.   The customer can phone in their order between certain times.  The customer can sign up for
their newsletter and it’s all private.  This site is very user friendly.
http://guineys.ie/
Customer Service Message
A Screen shot of an organisation’s website
Negative:
I was looking to purchase a glass house in Ireland and came across this website.
I felt frustrated trying to navigate around it as I could not find anything close to what I wanted, in fact they said they had certain sizes of glass houses but they were impossible to find on this page, which to me is false advertising. It also said there was a price list but there wasn’t one.  There were very few pages of information compared to what the page said.  I rang the number on the page several times for help, but nobody answered.
Recommendation:I would recommend they hire a web designer, it doesn’t cost a lot, but it would bring in money to the company.  The company should then keep the website updated on a regular basis.  I would recommend then that the company hire a person to answer the phone at all times, again this would obviously make money for them, because I as a customer gave up wanting to buy anything because I couldn’t speak to anyone in this company.
http://www.polydome.ie/glasshouses_search.php?maincatid=3
Customer Service Message
Printed Material from and Organisation (flyer, leaflet, brochure)
Positive:
The Irish Cancer Society is a wonderful organisation, who do a lot of work for people and their families suffering from cancer.
Daffidol Day is held every year in March, this year it’s the 24the March, and the money raised goes to the County you are collecting in.  You can donate at any time online.
This charitable organisation uses the money also for patients travel to and from hospital.
Counselling services for patients and families.
Information and services on Pallative care and end of life care.
There is a freephone number, for people to contact a nurse for confidential advice and information.
See Appendix A at the back
https://www.cancer.ie/?gclid=CMKB1ua97NICFa-97QodHIUEcw
https://www.cancer.ie/support/coping-with-cancer/palliative-care#sthash.xYq8CER1.dpbs
Printed material from an Organisation
Negative:  When you look at this flyer it doesn’t jump out at me, to tell me what it’s exactly about, in fact there is very little information on it about the food/meals it’s serving.  The background is a dark colour and takes away from the writing underneath.
Recommendations:  I would recommend that they would include visuals of what food they serve.  They should change the background colour, something brighter and the print then would contrast better against it.  The font actually should all be in bold.
See Appendix B
 
Customer Service Message
News Report/Clipping regarding employment conditions, corporate ethics, environmental ethics, sponsorship, etc.
Positive:  Aldi have a great initiative in tackling food waste, by distributing left over food from the shops, to families who are in need and charitable organisations like St. Vincent’s de Paul who look after poor people, for example those living on the streets and in shelter in the cities.

https://www.aldi.ie/love-ireland
Customer Service Message
News report/clipping regarding employment conditions, corporate ethics, environmental ethics, sponsorship, etc.
Negative:  Tesco are in an ongoing battle with about 3,000 of their employees over their pre-1996 contracts for work.  Tesco wants these employees to take lower rates of pay and conditions, just like their new employees.  During the strike periods Tesco stores all over Ireland have lost millions of euros, because customers did not want to pass the picket line.  At the moment a mediator has been appointed to try to come to some agreement with both parties over this row.
Recommendations:  I would recommend Tesco come up with a fair package for all their employeesas they work hard and have long hours of work.  This country is doing well again and these companies are making plenty of money, so why not give a fair package like Lidl and Aldi who have set a precedent here.
See Appendix C at the back.