Customer
service
Basic concept of customer service
Basic communication skills of dealing
with customers
Review
Do you think companies spend most
of the time and energy attracting
new customers or keeping existing
customers?
Which one is more crucial to a
company, attracting new customers
or keeping existing customers? Why?
p.25
How do you understand the idea of
“Customers are God”?
Statistics: Advantages of
keeping customers
Repeat customers spend 33% more
than new customers.
It costs 6 times more to acquire a
new customer than it does to keep
an existing one.
As little as a 5% increase in customer
retention can increase profits by 25
to 95%.
Ladder of customer loyalty p.25
Advocate
Supporter
Client
Customer
Prospect
Strategies of building
customer loyalty
Building brand equity
- Brand loyalty (From a marketing
point of view, brand equity is the
measure of customer loyalty to a
brand.)
Creating customer satisfaction
Creating and maintaining relationships
- Customer service
- CRM (customer relationship
management)
I. Customer Service
Discussion: Sharing your experience
Talk with your partner about your
most delightful or annoying
experience with customer service
as a customer.
Refer to p.84
Discussion:
What were the consequences of
your delightful and annoying
customer service experiences?
Facts about customer service
80% of business leaders believe their
companies are doing a good job in
the way they treat customers.
Only 8% of customers agree.
Facts about customer service
54% to 70% of customers who
complain will do business with you
again if they feel their problem is
resolved. That figure jumps to 95% if
the customer feels the complaint has
been resolved quickly.
According to the above recent reports,
outstanding customer service is now
rated as being more important than
low prices and quality products!
1. What is customer service?
How a company deals with its
consumers before, during and after a
purchase or use of a service.
A series of activities designed to
enhance the level of customer
satisfaction – that is, the feeling that
a product or service has met the
customer expectation.
A proactive attitude that can be
summed up as: I care and I can do.
2. Why it matters?
Businesses need to recognize:
The benefits of having satisfied
customers;
The costs of having dissatisfied
customers .
Reading
p.86 “Customer delight”
3. Who offers it?
Who gives customer service?
Name some job roles…
Shop assistants (salespersons)
Receptionists
Bank assistants
Insurance agents
Food servers
Bus drivers
Customer service representatives
Link: Customer Care
Customer care centre
Customer care representative
The two terms (customer service
and customer care) are often used
interchangeably.
Customer care is the application of
customer service.
3. Who offers customer service?
Excellent customer service can
only be achieved by training all
employees, even those who do
not have direct contact with
customers.
Happy employees make happy
customers.
4. How to offer customer
service?
Listening:
- p.89
4. How to offer customer service?
Discussion:
What rules for good customer
service can you summarize?
4. How to offer customer service?
Excellent customer service is the
ability of an organization to
constantly and consistently exceed
the customer's expectations.
It’s all about attitude and skills.
Rules for good customer service
Answer your phone
Make sure that someone is picking up the
phone when someone calls your business.
Don’t make promises unless you WILL
keep them
Listen to your customers
Let your customer talk and show him that you
are listening by making the appropriate
responses, such as suggesting how to solve the
problem .
Deal with complaints
Be helpful, courteous, and knowledgeable
Communication skills of dealing
with complaints
“Customer complaints” p.85, Book 4
“Telephone complaints” p.131, Book
3
“Handling difficult situations” p.43,
Book 4
“Resolving conflict” p.73, Book 4
“Active listening” p.89, Book 4
Words & phrases that damage
customer relationship “I’ll find out for you”;
You don’t understand. “I’ll need to check on that
and get back to you”;
I don’t know.
“I’ll have to look that up,
when is a good time for me
I can’t…
to call you back?”
You don’t see my point.
Hold on (or hang on) a second.
Our policy says (or prohibits)…
That’s not my job/responsibility.
You must/should…
You’ll have to…
What you need to do is…
What’s your problem?
Why don’t you…?
I never said…
Words & phrases that build customer
relationship
Please.
Thank you.
I can/will…
How may I help?
I was wrong.
You’re right.
I understand how you feel.
May I …? / Could we try …?
Have you considered …
I’m sorry for …
It’s my/our fault.
What do you think?
Would you mind?
Express empathy to customers
Use empathic phrases:
“I can see why you feel that way”
“I see what you mean”
“That must be very upsetting”
“I understand how frustrating this
must be”
“I’m sorry about this”
Always say you’re sorry
Excellent customer service
Study these “winners”
Customer service stars:
2009 BusinessWeek Top 25
http://images.businessweek.com/ss/
09/02/0219_customer_service/1.htm
Customer service & CRM
CRM is useful for customer service.
Businesses can use automated CRM
applications to analyze customer
complaints, or compliments, and
change the business processes
accordingly. Interestingly enough,
CRM products also run many
automated call-centers for businesses
(i.e. customer service systems). CRM
applications and practices are used to
make businesses more efficient and
improve customer satisfaction.
Role play (work in pairs)
You have bought a cell phone and it’s
broken after only one week and
you’re very angry about products not
being made to last anymore. You
want the salesperson to do something
immediately. She is offering you a
replacement and you want a refund.
Homework
Listening
pp.84-85
Case study
p.90
Appendix
How to deal with different
types of customers?
The talkative customer
Ask closed questions
Limit the time available for them to
interrupt (don’t have long pauses)
Provide minimal response
Smile and be pleasant, but don’t
encourage them
Wind up – thank them for coming,
walk them to the door but don’t be
rude or dismissive
The angry customer
Listen carefully without interrupting so
you understand the problem
Empathize in a broad way
Stay calm and remain polite
Don’t escalate the problem
Don’t take it personally, be defensive or
blame others
Propose an action plan and follow it
Seek support if you are scared, if you can’t
agree on a solution or if the customer asks
to see “whoever’s in charge”
The ‘know it all’ customer
Acknowledge what they say
Compliment them on their research
Be generous with praise
Don’t put them in their place no
matter how tempting
Don’t try to be smart – you can’t win!
Ask them questions and use them to
improve your knowledge
The indecisive customer
Find out what they really want
Ask them for the options
Reflect back to them what they’ve
said
Assume control gently and point out
the best course of action from what
they’ve told you they need
Be logical
Confirm a plan of action with them
Maybe even put it in writing
The suspicious customer
Establish your credibility
Ensure you know your product or
service
They will try and catch you out so
don’t guess or tell them something
you’re not sure of
Be careful what you say
Be polite
Don’t take it personally, they don’t
trust anyone!