RESPONDING EFFECTIVELY TO
CUSTOMER QUERIES
FRONTLINE STAFF TRAINING
(JUDICIAL SERVICE),KUMASI
APRIL,2012
ESTHER POKOO- AIKINS
CLIENT SERVICES UNIT COORDINATOR, PSRS
EMAIL: ewumana@yahoo.com
What if we don’t meet our
advertised standards?
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COMPLAIN!!!
Customers who complain are
normally loyal customers (others
will simply switch) and will
continue to be loyal if the
complaint is handled well.
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Complaints are only symptoms. The disease
needs to be cured
MONITORING
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Use standard operating procedures
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Survey users
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Mystery shopping
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Independent validation
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Publish information on performance
Service Gap
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The Customer or Public’s dissatisfaction occurs
when a GAP arises between the customer’s
expected service and the how she/he perceived the
services received.
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Customer Gap is the difference between
Expectations and PERCEPTION
Types of GAPS
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GAPS arise when the service provider does
Not know what customers expect
Not have right service designs and standards
Not deliver to service Standards
Not match performance to promise
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Improving service quality means CLOSE THE SERVICE
GAP
Key Factors leading to Provider GAPS
Factors
 Inadequate Researchnot focusing on service
quality
-Lack of upward
communication within the
public institutions/MDAs
Po or Service Designvague, undefined
procedures
-absence of customer driven
standards
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Effect
 leads to not knowing
what customer expects
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Result in not having the
right service standard
Key Factors leading to Provider GAPS Cont.
Factors
 Differences in human
resources policies
-failure to match supply with
demands
-customer not fulfilling roles
Effects
 Leads to not delivering to
service standards
Lack of service marketing
communication
-ineffective management of
customer expectations
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Results is not matching
performance to promises
Feedback Sources
Many companies are encouraging customers to provide
feedback .Feedback can take a number of forms ranging
from basic simple question to high technology.
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Current Customers
Lost Customers
Prospective/potential customers
Competitor’s customers
Indirect Customers-Distributors
Internal Customer
Strategies for Seeking Feedback
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Over-the-counter at the service outlets
By toll-free telephone number
By post
By community/consumer organizations
Constituting consultative committees
Internet/E-mail
Leaflets, Posters ,Newsletters and Booklets
The Media
Help Desk
Letters and Comments Cards
Strategies for Seeking Feedback Cont.
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Periodically questionnaires to Customers
Regular telephone survey of customers
Hotline telephone facility by which customers telephone
special departments ready to receive feedback
Suggestion box at vantage points
“Mystery shopping”
Face-to-face Interviews
Focus Group
Guides to Feedback
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Describe behaviour and not to evaluate
Must be specific
Should occur in a timely fashion
Most useful when it is asked for rather than imposed
upon the customer
Emotions can override logic
Customers live in political world
Customers have personality differences
Customers may not thrust your sincerity
Be open to customer feedback
What is a Complaint
A statement about expectations that
have not been met
OR
‘any expression of dissatisfaction that
needs a response’.
Handling Complaints
Effective complaints system should have statistics or
number and kind of complaints.
identification of :
 Most frequent or most costly complaint
 Root causes of complaint
 Pattern of complaints: by product, service category,
customer type, sales, location etc
 Unmet customer requirement
Benefits of Customer Complaints
Customer complaint leads to:
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Improvement in procedure
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Elimination of products and or service defects
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More skillful customer service behaviour
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Higher performance standards
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Customer focused management
Principles of Effective Complaints System
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Easy to access and well publicized
Speedy-with fixed time limits for action and keeping
people informed of progress
Confidential-protect staff and those who complain
Informative-providing information to management so that
services can be improved
Simple to understand and use
How to Complain
Give names, addresses and phone numbers of staff or
sections to contact with any complaint
Assure people that they can make a complaint in person,
by phone, writing
Steps in handling Complaint
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Staff to adopt a positive response
Staff to listen carefully to complaint
Staff should ask for the facts
Repeat back to the customer what you see as the
problem for his confirmation
Do not jump to conclusions without all the facts
Admit mistakes and apologize on behalf of the company
Find out what customer wants done about the situation
Explain if possible what happened or caused the mistake
Take immediate action to remedy the situation
If remedial action is not possible immediately, customer
should be told the reason and assurance of remedy
within specific time
Thank customer for patience and understanding
Complaints Resolution Process
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Complaint recordings by Front Office Staff
Director/Supervisor taking action
Forwarding response back to front Office
Onward transmission of response to Customer
Analyze the complaints to prevent reoccurrence
(achievement against target, breakdown problems into
categories,)
Management using the Complaint summaries/report
presented in Pictorial (Pie/Bar Cart ) for decision/policy
The cycle continues
Designing and Implementing Effective
Complaints Handling Systems
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Be informative, providing information to top
management so that services can be improved
Set out clearly the volume of complaints; broken
down by different categories
Include an analysis of response time
Inform the complainant of the proposed action
Designing and Implementing Effective
Complaints Handling Systems
A complaint system should:
 Be accessible and well publicized
 Be simple to understand and use
 Be speedy, with established time limits for action and
keeping people informed of progress
 Be fair, comprehensive and impartial in its investigation
 Be confidential, to maintain the confidentiality of both the
staff and the complainant.
Relevance of Complaints and Redress
Mechanisms
Most dissatisfied customers do not complain
 For every complaint received there are many more
unreported
 Complaints are not registered because:
i.
They do not know where to
ii.
Department may be indifferent
iii.
Its not worth their time
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Basic Steps for Effective Complaints
Management
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Listening sympathetically to people who have felt a
cause to complain
Recognize that complaints handling is an integral part
both of good service and customer care and not a
nuisance
Understanding the benefits of good complaints handling
and consequences of poor complaints handling and
welcome complaints as an opportunity
Putting things right for the citizens and to learn the
lesson and improve service.
Basic Steps for Effective Complaints
Management Cont.
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Acknowledge complaints
Designate a location to receive complaints
Develop a system for record keeping
Process and record complaints
Investigate and analyze complaints
Keep the customer informed of the progress
Periodically analyze the complaints and improve the
process
Options for Rendering Redress
A recommended menu of redress options could
be:
 An apology
 An explanation
 Assurance that the same thing will not happen
again, backed up by action and monitoring
 Action taken to put things right
 Financial compensation
The Role of Information
Technology
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Information technology has given and added feature to
the in which information can be stored in government
departments
The data on complaints is stored with ease and can be
accessed comfortably tedious recording maintenance
The database becomes accessible at all levels of
administration and redress is also possible and quick.
It becomes convenient to record, track complaints and
associated redress to enable measurement of customer
satisfaction through analysis of questionnaires generated
among users.
Encouraging Complaints
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People only complain if they feel that the organization
listens to their complaints and acts on them.
Organizations must make it clear to the public that
complaints are welcomed and that information will be
used to improve services
People may not complain if they fear that the service will
somehow single them out for harassment and punish
them for complaining
This is particularly true if the user is in a vulnerable
position e.g. utility services
Handling Complaints within the
Organization
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Listening sympathetically to people who have felt a
cause to complain
Recognize that complaints handling is an integral part
both of good service and customer care and not a
nuisance
Understanding the benefits of good complaints handling
and consequences of poor complaints handling and
welcome complaints as an opportunity
Putting things right for the citizens and to learn the
lesson and improve service.
Helping Your Client
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Welcome your client
Provide a seat and take advantage of the waiting
period
Make provision for queuing
Provide guidelines for feedback
Respect and appreciate your client
Judge the mood and respond to concerns of clients
The Eight (8) Step Gift Formula
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Say “Thank You”
Explain why you appreciate the complaint
Apologize for mistake(s)
Promise to do something about the problem immediately
Ask for necessary information
Correct the mistake promptly
Check customer satisfaction
Prevent future mistakes
Never say no to a customer or he /she is wrong
Thank you
Questions, comments,
……….please