1. Managing
Customer
Service
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2. Contents :
• Understanding Quality Service and Service
Culture
• Key Skills for Quality Customer Service
• Addressing Customer Different Behavior Style
• Steps to Resolve Service Breakdown
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3. Service Winners…..
Those with a positive attitude and a cheerful outlook
Those who genuinely enjoy working with and for
other people
Those with the ability to put the customer on
“center stage”
Those who view their job primarily as a human
relations profession
Those who can allow customers to be right (even on
the occasions when they are not)
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4. Service is….
• Customers in a restaurant want more than a meal
• Guests in hotels want more than a room
• Client in a transaction want more than a settlement
• Customer want more that just the product or
service that is offered – they also want to be
treated well
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5. Service is Intangible
Intangibles deal with
the human side of an
organization
Service is
intangible
They include human
emotions, behaviors,
understandings, feelings,
and perceptions
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6. Service is Intangible
Examples of • Satisfaction
customer service • Attentiveness
intangible : • Flow
• Helpfulness
• Sensitivity
• Tone
• Attitude
• Knowledge
• Understanding
• Tact
• Guidance
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7. Two Dimensions of Service
The procedural dimension
Consist of the established
systems and procedures to
deliver products and/or
services
Service
The personal dimension
How service providers (using
their attitudes, behaviors,
and verbal skills) interact
with customers
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8. Two Dimensions of Service
The Freezer The Factory
Low in both personal and Good in procedural service,
procedural service. bad in personal service.
Motto : “We don’t care” Motto : “You are number.
We are here to process you”
The Friendly Zoo Quality Customer Service
Bad in procedural service, Excellent in both the
good in personal service. personal and procedural
Motto : “We are trying dimensions. Motto : ‘We
hard, but don’t really care and we deliver”
know what we are doing”
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10. Five Elements of Quality Service
Reliability Assurance Tangible
Empathy Responsiveness
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11. Five Elements of Quality Service
• The ability to provide what was
promised, dependably and
Reliability
accurately
• Action strategy : make sure that
you correctly identify customer
needs, promise only what you can
deliver, and follow through to
ensure that the product or service
was received as promised
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12. Five Elements of Quality Service
• The knowledge and courtesy of
employees, and their ability to
Assurance
convey trust and confidence
• Action strategy : take the time to
serve customers one at a time.
Provide service assertively by
using positive communication
techniques and describing
products and services accurately
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13. Five Elements of Quality Service
• The physical facilities and
equipment and the appearance of
Tangible
personnel
• Action strategy : maintain
workspaces in a neat, orderly
manner, dress professionally, and
maintain excellent grooming and
hygiene standards
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14. Five Elements of Quality Service
• The degree of caring and
Empathy individual attention provided to
customers
• Action strategy : listen for
emotions in your customers’
messages. Put yourself in their
place and respond
compassionately by offering
service to address their needs
and concerns
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15. Five Elements of Quality Service
• The willingness to help
Responsiveness customers and provide prompt
services
• Action strategy : project a
positive, can-do attitude. Take
immediate steps to help
customers and satisfy their
needs
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16. Service Culture Components
Service
Employee
Delivery mission
roles and
System
expectations
Training SERVICE Policies and
CULTURE procedures
Motivators Management
and reward Products support
and services
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17. Service Culture Components
The direction or vision of an
Service
mission organization that supports day-to-day
interaction with the customer
The material, products, and services
Products
and services that are state of the art, competitively
priced, and meet the needs of
customers
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18. Service Culture Components
Delivery The way an organization deliver its
System products and services
Instruction or information provided through a
Training variety of techniques that teach knowledge
or skills, or attempt to influence employee
attitude toward excellent service delivery
Monetary rewards, material items, of
Motivators
feedback that prompts employees to
and reward
continue to deliver service and perform at
a high level of effectiveness and efficiency
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19. Service Culture Components
The specific measures that indicates what
Employee
roles and is expected of employees in customer
expectations interactions and that define how employee
service performance will be evaluated
Policies and The guidelines that establish how various
procedures situations of transactions will be handled
Management The availability of management to answer
support questions and assist frontline employees in
customer interaction when necessary
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20. Key Skills for
Quality Customer
Service
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21. What You Should Know?
Know Your
Organization
Customer
Service Know Your
Person Product/Service
Know Your
Customer
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22. Know Your Organization
• Organization mission
Know Your
and vision
Organization
• Organization culture
• Customer interaction
policy and procedures
• Company support for
product/service
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23. Know Your Product/Service
Know Your • Product /service
Product/Service development and quality
improvement process
• Product/service
configuration
• Performance data and
specification
• Maintenance and care
• Price and delivery
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24. Know Your Customers
Know Your • Customer Needs
CUSTOMERS • Customer Concerns
• Customer Personality
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25. Developing Excellent Communication with
Customers
Excellent Verbal
Communication Skills
Productive
Excellent Non-Verbal Relationship
with
Communication Skills
Customers
Excellent Listening
Skills
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26. Excellent Verbal Communication
with Customers
• Plan your messages
• Greet customer warmly and
Communicating sincerely
positively…..
• Be specific
• Use “small talk”
• Use simple language
• Paraphrase
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27. Excellent Verbal Communication
with Customers
• Ask positively phrased
question (Instead, “Why do you
Communicating feel that way” , use: What makes
positively….. you feel that way? Instead, Why
do you want that color, use :
What other colors have you
considered?)
• Communicate to your
customer’s style
• Agree with customers
• Solicit customer feedback and
participation
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28. Excellent Verbal Communication
with Customers
Words and phrases that build
relationship:
Please
Thank you
I can or will
Communicating
How may I help?
positively…..
I understand how you feel
You’re right
May I
Would you mind…..
I apologize for….
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29. Excellent Verbal Communication
with Customers
Words and phrases that damage
relationship:
You don’t understand
You don’s see my point
Hold on a second
Avoiding
negative Our policy says (or prohibits)
communication That’s not my responsibility
What you need to do is…..
Why don’t you
The word “problem”
The word “but”
The word “no”
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30. Excellent Verbal Communication
with Customers
Six C of giving good information
to customers
Clear Concise Correct
Complete Courteous Concrete
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31. Non Verbal Communication with
Customers
Body language
Volume Cues
Non Verbal
Behavior
Appearance
and Grooming
Miscellaneous
Cues
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32. Non Verbal Communication with
Customers
Body language Volume Cue
• Eye contact
• Pitch
• Posture
• Volume
• Facial
• Rate of speech
expression
• Voice quality
• Gestures
• Articulation
• Pauses
• Silence
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33. Non Verbal Communication with
Customers
Appearance Miscellaneous
and Grooming cues
• Hygiene (regular • Personal
washing and
habits
combing of hair,
use of mouthwash • Proper
and deodorant) etiquette and
• Clothing and manners
accessories
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34. Positive and Negative Communication Behavior
Positive Negative
• Brief eye contact • Yawning
• Eyes wide open Eye Frowning or sneering facial
• contact, posture,
• Smiling expression, gestures
• Attending to matters other
than the customer
• Nodding affirmatively • Leaning away from customers
as he/she speaks
• Expressive body gestures • Subdued or Minimal hand
gestures
• Open body stance • Staring blankly or coolly at
• Listening actively customers
• Remaining silent as • Interrupting
customer speaks
• Gesturing with open hand • Pointing finger or object at
customer
• Clean, organize work area • Disorganized, cluttered work
space
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35. Characteristics of Good Listener
1. Empathy
2. Understanding
Good
3. Patience Listener
4. Attentiveness
5. Objectivity
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36. Strategies for Improved Listening
• Stop talking !
• Prepare yourself
• Listen actively
• Show willingness to listen
• Show empathy
• Send positive nonverbal cues
• Don’t argue
• Ask questions
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37. To listen more effectively…..
Attend physically – the right body language helps us
to focus on the customer and encourages the customer
to give us more information
Attend mentally – follow the customer’s flow of
thought, listen to understand, not evaluate; listen first,
then assess
Check it verbally – paraphrase, clarify, probe further,
summarize your understanding
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38. Dealing Assertively with Customers
• Look customers in the eyes as you speak
• Grasp firmly without crushing
• Think, plan, speak a specific question
• Stop, gather thoughts, speak
• Apologize if you make a mistake
• Increase volume, sound firm and convincing
• Take responsibility, resolve the problem
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41. Addressing Customer Needs
To Feel Welcome To Feel Appreciated
To Be Understood To Feel Important
To Feel Comfortable To Be Respected
Customer Needs
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42. Addressing Customer Needs
Use an enthusiastic greeting, smile,
To Feel Welcome use the customer’s name, thank the
customer, be positive
Listen actively, paraphrase, ask key
To Be Understood question, give positive feedback,
empathize
Use an enthusiastic welcome, relieve
To Feel Comfortable anxiety through friendly
communication, explain your action
calmly, ensure physical comfort
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43. Addressing Customer Needs
Thank the customer, follow up, go
To Feel Appreciated beyond service expectations, provide
“special” offers, remember special
details about the customer
Use the customer’s name, give
To Feel Important special treatment when possible,
elicit opinions
Listen, don’t interrupt, acknowledge
To Be Respected
the customer’s emotions and
concerns, take time to serve, ask
advice, elicit feedback
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44. Four Styles of Behavior
Dominance Steadiness
Influencing Compliance
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45. Four Styles of Behavior
• Appears to be quite busy
• May give the impression of not
Dominance
listening
• Displays a serious attitude
• Voices strong opinions
• Appears quite active
• Takes social initiatives in most
Influencing
cases
• Likes to encourage informality
• Expresses emotional opinions
(feelings)
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46. Four Styles of Behavior
• Give the appearance of being
quiet and reserved
Steadiness • Listen attentively to other people
• Tend to avoid the use of power
• Make decisions in a thoughtful and
deliberate manner
• Control emotional expressions
• Displays a preference for
Compliance
orderliness
• Tends to express measured
opinions
• Sees difficult to get to know
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47. Strategies to Deal with Dominance Person
• Keep the relationship a businesslike as
possible
Dominance
• Develop strong personal relationship is
not a high priority for dominance
person
• Be as efficient, time disciplined, and
well organized as possible
• Provide appropriate facts, figures, and
success probabilities
• Try to identify their primary objectives
and then determine ways to support
with these objectives
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48. Strategies to Deal with Influencing Person
• Be enthusiastic
• Avoid an approach that is too stiff and
Influencing
formal
• Take time to establish goodwill and
build relationship
• Do not place too much emphasis on
the facts and details
• Plan actions that will provide support
for their opinions, ideas and dreams
• Maintain good eye contact
• Be a good listener
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49. Strategies to Deal with Steadiness Person
• Take time to build a social relationship
with the steadiness person
Steadiness
• Spend time learning about the things
that are important in this individual’s life
• Provide personal assurance and support
for their views
• If you disagree with a steadiness person,
cur the desire to disagree assertively;
steadiness person dislike interpersonal
conflict
• Give them the time to comprehend your
explanation/responses. Patience is
important
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50. Strategies to Deal with Steadiness Person
• Provide a thoughtful, well organized
approach
Compliance
• Take a no-nonsense, businesslike
approach
• Use specific questions that show
clear direction
• Provide detailed and comprehensive
information
• Never pressure the compliance
person to make quick decisions
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52. Service Breakdown
Service breakdowns occur whenever any
product or service fail to meet the
customer’s expectations
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53. Service Recovery Strategy
Express Listen to Uncover the
respect understand expectations
Outline Take action Double
the and follow check for
solutions through satisfaction
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54. Service Recovery Strategy
Express Listen to Uncover the
respect understand expectations
"What you Listen carefully; “Will you please
are telling me empathize with tell me what you
I important” the customer; and feel need to be
do not make done?”
excuses or
interruption
“Please tell me
what happened”
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55. Service Recovery Strategy
Outline Take action Double
the and follow check for
solutions through satisfaction
“I will take “You refund has “I am following
this action” or been requested. I up to make
“You have will personally sure your
several check with check arrived”
choices” accounting to
ensure your check
goes out Friday”
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56. Roadblock to Service Recovery
• Not listening
• Lack of respect
• Inadequate materials or supporting
equipment
• Poor or inadequate communication
• Lack of training
• Work conflict
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57. Dealing with Difficult People
• Don’t take it personally
• Remain calm, listen carefully
• Focus on the problem, not the person
• Reward yourself for turning a difficult
customer into a happy one
• When all else fail, ask for help
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58. Recommended Further Readings:
1. Robert W. Lucas, Customer Service : Skills and Concepts for
Success, McGraw Hill
2. William B. Martin, Quality Customer Service, Crisp Publication
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