The document discusses the importance of customer service and effective complaints handling in businesses, highlighting that good customer service can lead to customer satisfaction and loyalty. It outlines characteristics of effective customer service representatives, such as knowledge, empathy, and problem-solving skills, as well as steps for handling complaints in an organized and constructive manner. Key recommendations include establishing grievance systems, allowing anonymous submissions, and focusing on solutions rather than punishment.

1. CUSTOMER SERVICE AND COMPLAINTS
HANDLING
By
Dr. CRN [PhD, MBA (MU); B.A (UDSM)]
Lecturer, Researcher and Consultant
(Education, Linguistics, Literature, Business
Communication, Marketing Management,
Strategic Management, Performance
Management)
crn201412@yahoo.com
Call: +255 (0) 768 222 422

2. WHY CUSTOMER SERVICE?
Customer service is important because too
many negative experiences are going to cause
a serious loss of customers and revenue for
a business
Those losses would eventually lead to a going-
out-of-business sale
THEREFORE:
Customers want to encounter knowledgeable
and professional customer service
representatives with an efficient system at their
disposal to resolve their issues
When that happens, it will go a long way toward
helping retain customers and enjoying repeat

3. CUSTOMER
 A customer is an individual or business that
purchases another company's goods or services
 Customers are defined as end consumers of
goods or services, who traditionally make
purchases with their own money or credits cards
 the assistance and advice provided by a company
to those people who buy or use its products or
services
 The Customers can either be:
 Internal Customers
 External Customers

4. CUSTOMER SERVICE
 The way a business looks after its customers
• Providing good customer service is a vital part of
managing a business. Most customers have the
option to go elsewhere if the quality of customer
service is lacking. On the other hand, good
customer service is a source of competitive
advantage.
• Good customer service leads to customer
satisfaction. Satisfied customers are more loyal
and profitable.

5. CUSTOMER SERVICE
 The act of meeting the needs and desires of any
customer
 The act of taking care of the customer's needs by
providing and delivering professional, helpful, high
quality service and assistance before, during, and
after the customer's requirements are met
 The way a business looks after its customers
 The support you offer your customers — both
before and after they buy and use your products or
services
 A role within a business dedicated to helping
buyers or prospects regarding the purchase or use

6. CUSTOMER CARE
 The process of looking after customers to best
ensure their satisfaction and delightful interaction
with a business and its brand, goods and services
 The work of looking after customers and ensuring
their satisfaction with one's business and its goods
or services
 The role, responsibility, job, training and work of
caring for the customers that use the products and
services of a business, company or organization to
ensure they are listened to and satisfied with the
level of service they require
 A concept of how to treat a customer no matter

7. CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD
CUSTOMER SERVICE
1. Knowledge of the Organization and
Product/Service Offered
Customer support agents need to show that they are
perfectly capable of talking about your product
They need to be able to explain to customers what
they are looking to know or, at least, know where to
find information to answer them. Being
knowledgeable communicates trust
2. Empathy
A crucial ability for service agents and the art of
putting yourself in the position of another person
Means having a natural understanding of the
other’s point of view

8. CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD
CUSTOMER SERVICE
3. Customer Focus (Friendliness and Knowledge
on C. Needs)
Putting your customer first and place your customer
in the centre as most important. Bear any situation to
make sure the customer remains happy with your
service. Provide solutions to the customer to satisfy
its expectations. Keep the focus on the customers to
solve their problems
4. Patience and Flexibility
Handle multiple customers at the same time, or at
least one after the other. Customers comes in a
different mood - from the happy bubbly to the fast
and furious. Support agents need to be able to
respond to all of them with the same quality of
service
5. Language and Problem-solving skills

9. COMMUNICATING MORE EFFECTIVELY
WITH CUSTOMERS
1. Listen actively
2. Don’t interrupt
3. Use easy-to-understand words, not industry
terms or jargon
4. Use professional wording, not texting terms when
communicating electronically
5. Demonstrate courtesy (politeness, good
manners)
6. Use positive, not negative statements
7. Be aware of words or phrases that can lead to a
defensive reaction
8. Limit background noise and distractions
9. Don’t underestimate the value of snail-mail

10. HANDLING COMPLAINTS
“Many people are never happier than when they get
the opportunity to complain, while others are deeply
unhappy with how things are but just accept the fact.
Complaint occurs when we refuse to accept that
things are wrong and we do something about it,
even if that something is simply articulating our
unease”. Julian Baggini
“Peace is not absence of conflict, it is the
ability to handle conflict by peaceful means”
Ronald Reagan

11. COMPLAINTS HANDLING
1.Have a mindset to acknowledge problems:
keep an open mind and to acknowledge problems or
concerns as they emerge
2.Establish an organized grievance system:
Have an organized way of raising issues or
complaints against management or other
employees. The problems should promptly and
efficiently addressed as they are communicated to
the proper departments or authorities, and not
allowed to aggravate.
3.Allow anonymous complaint submissions:
Some employees see problems but are hesitant to
get involved for fear of possible backlash. The
anonymous reporting of issues can facilitate their

12. COMPLAINTS HANDLING
5. Ensure objectivity and transparency: Ensure
the objective handling of concerns and conflict.
there’s a need to make the process transparent
6. Avoid being confrontational and badgering:
Discuss matters calmly to carefully thresh out
differences and come up with a solution or
compromise that would satisfy all parties. Discuss
problems only when everyone has calmed down. It
may be futile trying to resolve something when
everyone is still agitated
7. Discreetly resolve conflict as much as
possible
Try to avoid dragging everyone in the workplace or

13. COMPLAINTS HANDLING
8. Keep everything properly documented
Handling of complaints should not only be done
verbally BUT There should be a proper recording of
details, from the filing of the complaint down to the
resolution of the problem. This documentation can
serve as a reference in the future and will make it
easier to deal with administrative aspects of the
complaint or conflict resolution.
9. Emphasize reparation more than punishment
As much as possible, the goal should be to restore
normal operations and workplace dynamics. It would
be better to avoid imposing heavy punishments. The
imposition of penalties and punishments can have the
beneficial effect of preventing offenses or problems

14. COMPLAINTS HANDLING
10. Involve employees in the search for solutions
or in resolving the conflict
It would greatly help to allow the parties involved in the
complaint or conflict to participate in the search for or
the development of the solution. The management
may have its own list of penalties or sanctions for
specific offenses but it can be more productive to get
inputs from everyone.
11. Emphasize what the employee gets in resolving
the issue
This is to promote a sense of involvement. It helps to
make employees realize that there’s something they
get in helping solve the problem. The subject of a
complaint or the two conflicting parties in the

15. Travel and Convey
Greetings of Customer Care
with No Conflicts at
Workplace
Thank you for Listening