Improves customer care experience and a feeling of of concern and interest in someone who enters your business to buy a product or service

1. CUSTOMER CARE BEST PRACTICES
ABBY ETIQUETTE AND CAREER
PURSUIT
1

2. CUSTOMER CARE BEST
PRACTICES

 ABBY ETIQUETTE AND CAREER PURSUIT
2

3. Who are our customers?
A customer is the most important
person in our offices-in person or by
mail or by telephone
We are dependent on the customer
A customer is not an interruption of
our work-we are not doing him a favor
by serving him
A customer is not someone to argue
with or match wits with
3

4. Categories of customers
Internal and external customers
Internal customers are all employees of
an organization– employees cooperate
with one another as they discharge their
responsibilities
External customers are those that seek
for services or products from us-if we do
not have external customers, we cannot
have internal customers
4

5. How do we meet the needs of our
customers?
The attitude that “ so long as people
come to us”, then the product or services
must be acceptable is dangerous
This does not mean that it you will
continue to offer the service or product
Solicit for customer feedback
5

6. Why customers complain
 Communication failure
 Officialdom
 Mistakes
 Limited choices
 poor co-ordination
 Apathy
 Insensitivity
 Not my job
 Tactlessness
 Slow response
6

7. R.E.M.O.V.I.N.G Common complaints
Respond promptly
Empathize
Make customers feel valued
Organize work
Verify the facts
Insist on excellence
Never argue
Give the benefit of doubt
7

8. Handling complaints
 Salutation/welcome/offer seat
 Observe body language make feel valued
 Maintain self-esteem
 Stay calm
 Pay attention
 verify the facts
 Make notes
 Obtain information summarize agreement
 Apologize/re-assure
8

9. Help customers to complain
accurately(know exactly what has
gone wrong)
Have a very well established
procedure
Know how “customers from hell”
are handled
How do we interpret numbers of
complaints
9

10. Angry customers check list
Observe body language
Offer seat
Allow to let off steam
Don’t take it personally
Make notes
Offer to help calm tone
If persistent escalate/refer the case to
higher authority
10

11. The 6 E’s of managing complaints
Ear Listen
Eye Eye contact
Explain Seek references
Educate Be knowledgeable
Empathize Be in the customers shoes
Escalate Refer the case to higher
authorities
11

12. Habits to develop
Be on time
Follow up on promises
Go the extra mile
Express sympathy
Treat co-workers as customers
Give the customer your name and no.
12

13. Telephone tips
Make your own calls
Identify yourself
Come to the point
Pay attention
Take notes, ask politely
Summarize
Agree action
13

14. Receiving calls
Answer promptly
Salutation/identification
Pay attention
Know the caller
Make notes
Clarify the message ask obtain
information eg reference no.
State position
Summarize agreement
14

15. Ten worst things not to say to a customer
We cant
You are wrong
You will have to
I don’t know
Call back later
That is not my job
Sorry, there is nothing I can do
Now, calm down
No
Can you suggest the 10th
15

16. Guidelines for finding out about
customers
Telephone surveys
Face-to-interviews
Suggestion schemes
Focus groups
Suggest others
16

17. NO CUSTOMER NO BUSINESS
KNOW CUSTOMER KNOW
BUSINESS
17

18. Web-based customer care
Traditionally use a cost free call centre
Presently, every area of customer support
can be handled over the internet
E-Government has been put in place
18

19. Customer satisfaction
Is the state of mind that customers have
about an organization when their expectations
are met
Why measure satisfaction
Know what customers are thinking about you
Measure and improve on performance
Develop internal communication tools to let
every one know how they are doing
Demonstrate your commitment to quality and
your customers
19

20. “our service or brand promise cannot
fool all of our customers all the time.
If the service messages are out of
step with what is ultimately
experienced by our customers, then
money is wasted”
20

21. Make realistic promises
It is tempting to promise great service delivery
but this raises expectations that when not met,
met, will adversely affect the perception of the
ministry
Ensure staff do not promise more than your
ministry can deliver
Promise little but deliver much
Do not limit your customer service to only
“smile training”—it is like putting lipstick on a
building– and yet processes and systems do
not support this.
21

22. Conclusion
Customer satisfaction is a small thing that
makes a huge difference in the success of
an organization. If we overlook its
importance in the overall performance of
the organization, all other efforts will
bare little fruit. Good customer service is
the difference between excellent
organization and a mediocre one
22