This document discusses customer relationship management and customer service. It provides 10 tips for approaching customers, emphasizing respect, listening, and focusing on solutions. It also discusses the importance of regular customer contact and understanding the customer, their needs, and how to exceed their expectations through reliability, accessibility, responsiveness, respect and credibility. Customer contact should involve the customer, the employee, and the organization to build long-term loyalty.

1. THE UGANDA INSTITUTE
OF BANKING &
FINANCIAL SERVICES
UIBFS
ISO 9001:2008 CERTIFIED
Personal Services
Product Knowledge
The Competitive Environment
Selling Skills
Customers Service
Sales Interviews
MODULE COVERAGE
1
Introduction to Marketing
Customer Relationship Management

2. THE UGANDA INSTITUTE
OF BANKING &
FINANCIAL SERVICES
UIBFS
ISO 9001:2008 CERTIFIED
Approach
In a simplified way the CRM process involves approaching the client, attracting them,
continually serving them to and beyond satisfaction (and thus delighting them) and
retaining them because of good, relationally fulfilling services. Approach refers to the first
moments of contact between you and your prospective customer. The attributes and
techniques for a successful approach are:
1. Show a high level of respect for the prospect in your phone call, in setting up the first
appointment and when you meet. Maintain this throughout the relationship.
2. If appropriate, start the prelude of your first visit with a short chat on any object of
mutual interest – golf, football, family, charity work etc. this ought to be extremely short –
perhaps one minute or less. It does great ice breaking
3. Appear smart in physical outlook, brilliant in what you say but modest in promotion
4. Be on time
5. Do not take unnecessarily long during the first meeting
6. Talk less and listen more
7. Focus on solutions for the customer rather than selling your product
8. At the end of the meeting, have a mutually agreed next step.
9. Respond positively to customer’s personality / mood / level of knowledge
10. Use the customer’s name, “Mr… Mrs…Miss…” if much older than you. Use their first name
if they are roughly in your age bracket or younger
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3. THE UGANDA INSTITUTE
OF BANKING &
FINANCIAL SERVICES
UIBFS
ISO 9001:2008 CERTIFIED
Customer Contact
There are 3 main parties involved in every customer contact:
a. Yourself
b. Your customer
c. Your organization (workmates, bosses, subordinates)
To be successful at customer contact; you need to:
i. Know who you are.
ii. Know who your customer is.
iii. Know what your organization is.
• The relationship between your organization and its customers may be one-off or long-term.
The number of times a customer actually comes into contact with you will vary due to
different factors – it could be daily, weekly, monthly, annually, or once in a lifetime.
• For banks, you are more likely to create customer loyalty by regularly meeting the
customer face-to-face, even if it is only twice a year. Most banks ignore this and only meet
customers when the customer requests. Banks that have relationship managers going out
to meet customers, just to understand them, have an edge.
• Contact is powerful and should never be downplayed or underrated. Whatever the
frequency/regularity, continual contact as part customer care is necessary.
3

4. THE UGANDA INSTITUTE
OF BANKING &
FINANCIAL SERVICES
UIBFS
ISO 9001:2008 CERTIFIED
Defining customer needs
The best way to give a customer outstanding service is for us to become
customers as often as possible. We are in contact with people every minute,
hour and day, and we too are customers at various times during the course of
the day.
• It is no secret why certain companies earn your long-term loyalty as a
customer. They exceed your expectations! They treat you with respect and
make you feel as though you’re the most important part of their business.
• They stay close to you and go out of their way to deserve your devotion and
loyalty. The best way they achieve this is to understand and deliver what the
customers need, in ways that are more pleasant than the customer would
generally be satisfied with.
4

5. THE UGANDA INSTITUTE
OF BANKING &
FINANCIAL SERVICES
UIBFS
ISO 9001:2008 CERTIFIED
5
Reliability Getting it right the first time; honoring promises
Accessibility
Speed
• Track record for timeliness
• Time to alert customers of any problems
• Time conscious service all the time
• Time definite service delivery
• Service when customers need it
• Ease of preparation / paperwork
• Geographical coverage
• Availability of service convenient opening hours, no
queues, phone & internet banking facilities
Functional needs What the customer expects
Communication
Accurate and consistent information in a language that
customers understand
Responsiveness
Willingness, readiness to provide service; Staff takes
initiative to avoid/solve problems

6. THE UGANDA INSTITUTE
OF BANKING &
FINANCIAL SERVICES
UIBFS
ISO 9001:2008 CERTIFIED
6
Respect /Recognition Invitation to the bank’s special occasions
Confidence
Valued
• Recognize/acknowledge them by name
• Politeness, respect, friendliness
• Understand the importance of their request
• Respond to their feedback and requests
• Knowing our business information
• Displaying a professional outlook
• Confidently addressing their queries
Emotional needs What the customer expects
Credibility
Honesty, trustworthiness; Bank staff follow-through on
commitments
Competence
• Giving them complete and logical information on your
range of services