Discuss about the Relationships Between Service Quality.
Quality customer service entails the provision of efficient and effective relationships with one’s customers. Therefore it may involve quick and fast service, listening to customers keenly, responding to customers in the quickest way possible, fast and effective complaints and problem solving techniques to name just but a few things that are involved (Hald, 2012). Therefore, it is very important for a business to ensure that their customer service team members or the sales team are treating their customers in the best way possible. Thus, the organization has to come up with ways or policies which will guide the sales and the customer service team members on how to treat their customers.
Making sure that there is an apology conveyed to the customer in case they come up with a complaint about the products. By apologizing the organization will be showing that it did not cause the issue or problem willingly (Jahanshahi et al, 2011). In addition to that, it will show the customer that they sympathize with the customer that the product or service had a problem but that would not happen again. In the case of Innovative Widgets Business, there is a policy of making sure that many apology letters should be written to a complaining customer and especially its loyal customers. Also, the business assures the customers to get a significant discount during their next purchase. The aim of this treatment is to make sure that the customers remain loyal to the products as well as the organization.
Equality and Diversity. The organization should ensure that all the employees are treated equality despite the fact that they come from different departments, divisions, earn different amounts of salary, permanent or temporary employees, leaders and the common employees among other differences. This should be the case especially when it comes to making and deciding on the policies, objectives and goals, mission and vision statements and strategies to be put in place for better customer service (Hüttinger et al, 2012). In the case of Innovative Widgets, the manager invited every team member to participate in coming with the mission and vision statement, policies and procedures to be reviewed by the managing director. By involving the employees when making such decisions it shows that the organization is aware of their welfare and is in need of their ideas.
The Organizations should ensure that the objectives and the goas of the whole organization and the specific departments are in line with each other (Nollet et al, 2012). This means that the manner in which the employees from the different departments treat the employees is the same because they will be working towards the same common goal though slightly different. The managers from the different departments must ensure that their customers are treated in the best way possible by the employees (Ellis et al, 2012). For the case of Innovative Widgets the managing director of the organization ensured that all the directors of specific departments used the customer service model to implement internal customer plans. This was simply after he realized the improvements that the new strategies and policies were making much difference in terms of customer service treatment. By doing this the organization will be able to improve itself even when it comes to other grounds.
Arrange for trainings and conferences to educate the employees about better customer service and its importance. A business organization should arrange for training sections and meeting where by the employees can be taught on how to treat their customers (Sureshchandar et al, 2001). Also conference days should be included in the business year schedule in different places by different trainers to help the employees improve their skills and education on better customer treatment. For Innovative Widgets Business Organization, the managing director and other managers from other departments ensured that there were training sections that were offered for all the employees (especially sales and customer service team members) and that they attended. These trainings were meant to teach them on how to improve their customer treatment skills and learn how to cope with the new policies and strategies that had been put in place.
The following are the steps that Mary can use in future so that she can be able to handle customers in a more professional way and solve any complains that she comes across:
Welcome the customer in a more professional way- The sales person will have to great the customer, introduce themselves even before they introduce the items that they are selling. This is done by greeting the customer in a welcoming manner and introducing yourself to them by giving them your name. However, if the business uses the telephones to receive the enquiries and complaints through the telephone calls, then apart from introducing themselves and welcoming the customer, the servers should also introduce the organization in a simple and welcoming tone and voice. This will give the customer the feeling of assurance and confidence in making their complaints (Naidu, 2009).
Careful and keen listening- The customer servers should be ready to listen to what the customer wants to say without interrupting them. This will help them air out their complaints with confidence and feel comfortable which increases their chances of being loyal to the organization (Sureshchandar et al, 2002). Also they should get used to pointing out where they may not have understood and asked for clarification in a cautious tone and voice. Additionally, even though the customer is not able to express themselves in an understandable way, the customer servers should try and make sense of what is said to them instead they should the customers as their references points.
The customer servers should never indulge in an argument with any customer. Even when the server thinks that the customer is completely wrong about what they are saying, they should try and make it simple for them to understand and therefore it becomes easier to make correction (Schiele et al, 2012). When customer makes their complaints, the server or sales people should not always offer their ideas on how to solve the problem instead they should give the customers a chance to air out their ideas on how they would want the problem solved. However, if the customer’s idea is not possible, then it is ok for the server to take charge and offer their techniques.
The customer servers should be sympathetic and apologetic to the customers whenever they come to make complaints. This will be possible especially by saying sorry verbally or taking action like writing an apology letter. They should avoid being rude and arrogant when serving any customer (Baxter, 2012). For instance if it’s the product are faulty, then they should ask them whether they can allow them to take the products back for further testing and approval.
Also every organization should give the customer servers the power and authority to give the customer some price reduction (according to the value of the products) when need be. For instance, if the products are not delivered in time, they were worth a lot of money and apparently, they would have made a lot of profits for the customer if sold. I would be fair for the organization to make some reduction in the cost of the products for the customer simply to help the recover their loss.
Every organization should make sure that their policies concerning product replacement do not involve very long and complicated steps instead it should be an easy, short and simple process for better (Boshoff et al, 2004). This can be possible if the business appoints a replacement team members who will be in charge of making product replacement only. However, the organization should ensure that the product replacement team is in a position and ready to make the replacement for any product that may have complaints from the customers. By doing this they will be able to avoid the replacement of products by each and every employee who wishes to do so. Therefore, this will be able to encourage accountability and professionalism in the organization which leads to better customer service.
The managers should also involve themselves in making the process easy by talking to the customers. A customer who needs a replacement for any products or has any complaints which needs the manager’s attention should be accorded the attention they need. For instance, the customer who deals with the state’s largest supplier of mining equipment and buys the widgets from Innovative Widgets organization. He seems to have a serious complaint which certainly requires the manager’s attention. The conversation may go like:
Customer: Hello, am fine but I have a serious complaint with your business which I have been presenting for a while now. It has become a bother to me and my customer.
Manager: I know about the complaint and am so sorry that it has happened to you.
Customer: If you know about it, then you should also know that am considering seeking legal advice and also looking for a new supplier.
Manager: You don’t have to do that because I am assuring you that the problem will be solved in the next three days. I will personally take care of your situation, I promise.
Customer: A promise, that’s better. So am giving you three days warning for you to deliver.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I can say that effective and efficient customer treatment is required in every organization in order for it to increase its success chances. Therefore, it is important that every organization to ensure that its customers are treated in the best way possible by the employees. Also it is important to ensure that the employees are well equipped with the techniques and skills of dealing with customers and giving them best treatment they can give. By doing this, the business will have higher chances of maintaining their customers as well as having the best qualified and comfortable employees they can ever have.
References
Baxter, R. (2012). How can business buyers attract sellers’ resources?: Empirical evidence for preferred customer treatment from suppliers. Industrial Marketing Management, 41(8), 1249-1258.
Boshoff, C., & Gray, B. (2004). The relationships between service quality, customer satisfaction and buying intentions in the private hospital industry. South African journal of business management, 35(4), 27-37.
Ellis, S. C., Henke, J. W., & Kull, T. J. (2012). The effect of buyer behaviors on preferred customer status and access to supplier technological innovation: An empirical study of supplier perceptions. Industrial Marketing Management, 41(8), 1259-1269.
Hald, K. S. (2012). The role of boundary spanners in the formation of customer attractiveness. Industrial Marketing Management, 41(8), 1228-1240.
Hüttinger, L., Schiele, H., & Veldman, J. (2012). The drivers of customer attractiveness, supplier satisfaction and preferred customer status: A literature review. Industrial Marketing Management, 41(8), 1194-1205.
Jahanshahi, A. A., Gashti, M. A. H., Mirdamadi, S. A., Nawaser, K., & Khaksar, S. M. S. (2011). Study the effects of customer service and product quality on customer satisfaction and loyalty. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 1(7), 253-260.
Naidu, A. (2009). Factors affecting patient satisfaction and healthcare quality. International journal of health care quality assurance, 22(4), 366-381.
Nollet, J., Rebolledo, C., & Popel, V. (2012). Becoming a preferred customer one step at a time. Industrial Marketing Management, 41(8), 1186-1193.
Schiele, H., Calvi, R., & Gibbert, M. (2012). Customer attractiveness, supplier satisfaction and preferred customer status: Introduction, definitions and an overarching framework. Industrial Marketing Management, 41(8), 1178-1185.
Sureshchandar, G. S., Rajendran, C., & Kamalanabhan, T. J. (2001). Customer perceptions of service quality: A critique. Total quality management, 12(1), 111-124.
Sureshchandar, G. S., Rajendran, C., & Anantharaman, R. N. (2002). Determinants of customer-perceived service quality: a confirmatory factor analysis approach. Journal of services Marketing, 16(1), 9-34.
Sureshchandar, G. S., Rajendran, C., & Anantharaman, R. N. (2002). The relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction–a factor specific approach. Journal of services marketing, 16(4), 363-379.
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