The document provides tips for achieving excellence in customer service. It discusses defining quality customer service as exceeding customer expectations by adding value. It emphasizes creating a quality service culture within an organization by treating all employees and customers with courtesy and respect. It also covers how to effectively handle complaints, seeing them as opportunities to improve service.

1. Achieving Excellence Through Customer Service 9 th and 10 th November, 2007 Crown Berger Limited P O BOX 78188 - 00507 Nairobi, Kenya Presented by: Tips Management Services Limited P O Box 78049 – 00507, Nairobi Phone: 2089431/343357 Fax: 343357 Email: tipsco@wananchi.com Website: www.tipsmanagement.com John Tschohl

2. T Total Quality Management I Information Technology P Productivity Improvement S Strategic Management

3. TIPS MANAGEMENT SERVICES LIMITED PRODUCTS AND SERVICES Total Quality Management Information Technology Productivity Improvement Strategic Management / Formulation/ Implementation / Evaluation Employee Performance Appraisal System Job Evaluation HIV/ AIDS Awareness and Management / AIDS Awareness in the Work Place Salaries and Benefits Survey

4. Organizational Development Organizational Re-engineering Sales and Marketing Corporate Strategy ISO 9000 Quality Assurance System Policies and Procedure Writing Strategies for Competitiveness Communication Skills in Business Essential of Management Leadership Skills for Managers

5. Appraisal For Results Organization Culture Telephone and Public Relation Skills Challenges of the 21 st Century Management Development Program Customer Care Services Quality Improvement / Planning Control Project Design and Management Industrial Relations Staff Recruitment and Executive Selection

6. Time Management Problem Solving Skills Managing Meetings Management of Change Organization Restructuring Projects Evaluation and Management Privatization Human Resources Development Team Building Training of Trainers Capacity Building and Development

7. Organization Master Planning Company Director Roles and Responsibilities Retirees Program (Retired / Retiring or Retrenching Staff) Personnel Policy Manual Stress Management Alcohol and Substance Abuse in the Workplace

8. 2007 NEW PRODUCTS & SERVICES THE DISCIPLINE OF SERVICE LET (Leading Empowered Teams) FEELINGS (Customer Service Excellence) BAD Campaign (Buck-A-Day) Exceptional Service GOOD Idea Campaign Service First Video Library BAD is Back

9. DEFINING SERVICE QUALITY CULTURE

10. Customer Service Vs. Quality Customer Service Customer service is merely meeting customer expectations as per the normal procedure. Quality customer service is meeting and exceeding the customers intellectual and emotional needs and expectations i.e. adding value to the customers requests, needs etc

11. Elements of Quality Service 1. Speaking in a courteous and caring manner 2. Listening with respect and asking questions to ensure understanding 3. Doing your best 4. Working together to satisfy customer needs 5. Learning to meet new challenges and resolve problems

12. Quality Service Scale Intolerable Fully Satisfactory Low Good Excellent Unacceptable Commendable Exemplary Unsatisfactory (Speak abruptly or argue with customers) ( Socialize with co-workers while customers wait) ( Take too much time processing customers’ transactions) ( Give customers full attention, smile and make eye contact) (Show persistent enthusiasm with customers) (Calm irate customers)

13. Lee Scott President & CEO, Wal-Mart “ We must provide the level of service our customers expect and deserve.”

14. CREATING QUALITY SERVICE CULTURE IN AN ORGANISATION

15. CREATING QUALITY SERVICE CULTURE IN AN ORGANISATION Why create this CULTURE? To sustain teamwork in a working environment The feelings of others count Customers expect quality and speed To develop a win/win relationship Each person is special To enhance Positive communication

16. Creating a Service Culture The employees need to know that: No matter how large the business, every employee in one way or another is working to serve a direct customer Direct Customers

17. People are the business We reflect the way we feel about our fellow co-workers to the customer. We are in business because of our customer. Maintaining a friendly, open atmosphere is necessary because : When you help a co-worker, they may reciprocate the behavior When you perform well, your co-workers won’t have to do your job in addition to theirs When you learn your job, develop your efficiency and expand your duties, you are helping someone else.

18. Positive interaction makes work fun Positive interaction improves our working environment since we spend a lot of time on the job. Team spirit is essential People must work together as a team to accomplish goals which benefit everyone Everyone in the team has something special to contribute to the group

19. By satisfying your internal and external customers in the best way possible, it creates that sense of teamwork that successful companies thrive on Everyone likes to be complimented Everyone likes to be complimented, and to know that someone cares enough to listen and offer help

20. Limited job knowledge reduces performance Failure to learn your job simply means that someone else has to work harder

21. REDEFINING THE CUSTOMER IN COMPETITIVE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT

22. “ We spend all our time on people. The day we screw up the people thing, this company is over. -Jack Welch, former CEO General Electric

23. Who is a customer?

24. The customer is…….. Organization/group/person/system that one interacts with in his/her day to day business concerns The reason to why we do business The Boss/King Let me introduce you to your customer

25. Internal & External Customers External customers are people not employed by this organization. They are users of our services. Internal customers are employees or departments within our organization who also have a job to do and who depend on your services, products or “outputs” to serve their customers.

26. What do customers need Reliability. Customers want companies to perform desired services dependably, accurately and consistently Responsiveness Companies should be helpful and provide prompt service

27. Assurance Employees should be knowledgeable and courteous and should convey confidence in the service they provide Tangibles Attractive and clean Physical facilities as well as well groomed employees Empathy Customers want companies to provide individual attention and to listen to them

28. Deliver on promises A company must provide the service that is promised to the customer Speedy service Every task performed needs to be done quickly and efficiently Understand your responsibilities Don’t wait for someone to complain before correcting problems that create inconvenience

29. HOW TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN OFFERING QUALITY SERVICE

30. “ The purpose of business is to create and keep customers.” Peter Drucker – Management Consultant

31. OFFERING QUALITY SERVICE Friendliness by: Making eye contact Greeting the customer Answering questions or obtaining answers quickly

32. Hurrying Talking, acting in an enthusiastic, sincere and personal way Giving customer total attention Speaking in a friendly manner Listening to resolve any complaint Offering unsolicited help now and then

33. Personal treatment Treat each customer as an individual Use the customers name Using customers name repeatedly during a transaction. You might remember it next time Be prompt and efficient Recognize other peoples time is valuable

34. Do more than the minimum Aim at exceeding customers expectations Compliments The customers feelings of self worth should be complimented, praised and reinforced in a friendly way. Actions speak louder than words - Be mindful of your body communication

35. EXERCISE List at least three positive changes in your work area that would improve service delivery to customers and co-workers. How do you think quality service can help eliminate stress, build morale, avoid being put down and help you feel good about yourself? What can you do to improve your speed in completing tasks and delivering on your promises to customers?

36. THE ART OF SATISFYING AND CREATING DELIGHTED CUSTOMERS

37. “ I WANT IT ON TIME and in the proper hands. I want it done correctly, accurately, exactly, reliably, expertly, proficiently, faithfully , totally, absolutely, maturely, flawlessly, supremely, and certainly without fault. I want it unharmed, untainted and un-screwed up. And most of all I want it done CHEAP !” Achieving Excellence through Customer Service

38. Customer Care Strategy 4R’s of customer feedback By using the four R’s of customer feedback, one gains valuable information to improve or maintain your company’s service quality

39. Recognize – it requires you to sit down and identify those “foggy” areas of your business where you don’t regularly hear the voice of the customer. Request – you have to explicitly request feedback from your customers. Respond – thank your customers for their comments. React – keep track of customer comments in a database. First act on comments which are made several times. It’s your reaction to the customers’ feedback that will make all the difference.

40. Rules of customer service to remember Hea r the customers Understand the customers Like the customers Respect the customers Help the customers Appreciate the customers

41. HOW TO HANDLE SPECIAL PROBLEMS, CONCERNS, AND COMPLAINTS

42. “ Those who buy support me, those who come to flatter please me. Those who complain teach me how I may please others so that they will buy. Those who do not complain hurt me. They don’t allow me to correct my errors and thus improve my service.” Marshall Field – Pioneering Merchant

43. A Complaint Is An Opportunity To Make Things Right

44. Complaints Provide opportunity to learn what customers really think. Welcome them as a chance to impress your customers and encourage their loyalty while looking for ways to prevent similar problems from recurring again.

45. How to effectively handle the Irate Customer Listen carefully and with interest to what the customer has to say Put yourself in the customer’s place (empathize) Ask questions in a caring, concerned manner and listen actively to the customer’s answers

46. Suggest one or more alternatives to answer their concerns Apologize without blaming even if you personally aren’t to blame Solve the problem or find someone who can solve it and let the customer know what you are doing to resolve it

47. Patience and Tact – Be cool, collected and informed about your responsibilities Practice handling complaints within the team before meeting customers to discuss them

48. Points To Remember A well handled complaint is an opportunity to strengthen customer relationships One complaint will often reveal others customers have kept to themselves Look for trends in complaints and analyze the results

49. Tactics to Avoid First , don’t directly challenge the customer. Even if the customer is wrong and you’re right, don’t attempt to prove it Second, don’t let the conversation wander off the specific problem The goal is to solve the problem, not find more of them

50. Third, don’t participate in fault finding, it doesn’t help anyone to shift the blame to another department or person Finally , don’t let your personal feeling get in the way. Remain cool and collected and use courtesy and tact

51. TREAT EACH CUSTOMER AS AN INDIVIDUAL We are not numbers, we are individuals Treating people like numbers is poor service Treating people as individuals is quality service Treat people as you would like to be treated Recognize customer behaviour Understand what type or kind of customers your are serving Quality service leads to customer retention

52. The Golden Rule Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

53. The Platinum Rule Do unto others as they would want you to do unto them.

54. Service Recovery Taking positive steps to undo the damage we’ve done and restore the customer’s faith in us and our organization.

55. Implementing a complaint – Handling Process

56. Pay full attention to what is being said, avoid interrupting and take notes Show a sympathetic interest and make it clear that you are on the customers side, even if they are angry Recording Listen to and/ or log written complaints to provide reference when planning action Action To Take Stage one

57. Ask probing questions to pin point whether there has been any misunderstanding that can be easily resolved Question in a genuine attempt to understand the situation: Avoid leading questions or cross examination Questioning Find out details of the situation by asking appropriate questions to give a complete picture Action To Take Stage Two

58. Resolving Propose and agree on a solution that is acceptable to the customer Action To Take Stage Three

59. Summarize what you plan to do to ensure successful implementation and actions for the customer if any Include and gain agreement to any actions that need to be carried out by staff in other departments Auctioning Carry out an action plan to rectify a situation, to agreed standard and schedule Action To Take Stage Four

60. EXERCISE Have your emotions ever affected your service during a customer interaction? (i.e. did the transaction become heated? Did it become personal)