Customer Service Strategy

This document discusses the implementation plan for a customer service strategy, including identifying the customer base, determining customer needs, revamping service systems, and implementing feedback. It also covers internal and external customer requirements, specific customer service standards, complaint and grievance handling, required resources, and customer service monitoring.

Customer Service Strategy
Customer Service Strategy
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Customer Service Strategy
Table of Contents
Implementation Plan for Customer Service Strategy..........................................................3
Customer Service Strategy.................................................................................................5
Internal Customer Requirement......................................................................................5
External Customer Requirement.....................................................................................5
Specific Customer Service Standards...............................................................................6
Implementation of Procedures........................................................................................6
Complaints and Grievance Handling................................................................................6
Required Resources........................................................................................................7
Customer Service Monitoring..........................................................................................7
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Customer Service Strategy
Implementation Plan for Customer Service Strategy
An ideal customer service strategy is defined as a plan which takes into account all the
measures which are helpful in gaining 100% customer satisfaction. Since the entire purpose
of a business is to have happy clients and consumers, it is important that such a strategy is
defined in order to ensure that all the customer requirements are taken care of and that
they do not have complaints left1.
A customer service strategy is one of the most important parts of a business plan.
Following is a Customer Service Strategy Plan for AET Transport Pvt. Ltd. And how it can
achieve, using this strategy, maximum customer satisfaction:
Step 1: Identify the customer base correctly: this is essential since it is the very basis of the
entire business. Identifying the right customer base will help in identifying the type and the
level of services to be provided to them.
Step 2: identifying the current level of services being offered: before nay revamps in the
service is made, it is absolutely essential to know the current phase of the service being
provided. After knowing the existing strengths and weakness can the work on a new
strategy be done.
Step 3: Determining the need of the customer: once the correct customer base and present
level of the service is identified, it is now essential to understanding what exactly the
customer needs out of us and what we are providing them. Since the current service deals
in the delivery of hazardous chemicals, it is essential to understand customer feedback2.
1 Barber Nelson, Goodman and J. Raymond [2011]. “A Strategic Approach to Managing Customer
Service Quality”. Journal of Service Science, Vol 4, No. 2.
2 Linton Ian (2015). “How to Develop a Customer Care Strategy” [Online]. Available at:
https://smallbusiness.chron.com/develop-customer-care-strategy-39910.htm> [2019].
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Customer Service Strategy
Step 4: revamping the actual service system: after determining the flaws in the existing
service, it is now time to fix the loopholes. Here, the performance standards are to be set.
Step 5: revamping the service delivery process to ensure how the service can be better
achieved.
Step 6: Appointing customer care team: this team will exclusively look after troubleshooting
the problems before the problem is even brought to notice by the client.
Step 7: include technological strategy: this is an important part of the entire process. It will
integrate technology with customer service activities. Here, the use of data analytics can be
made to ensure that the problem is found from the root and solved3.
Step 8: focus attention on the team
Step 9: implementing the feedback: customers are most likely to provide feedback, for this,
it is essential to also implement them to see of an improvement whatsoever.
Step 10: the last step involves creating a continuous improvement mentality: it is important
to recognize all the changes taking place in the environment and how one has to change
with it to gain the competitive edge4.
Customer Service Strategy
3 Adrain Swinscoe (2015). “How To Implement An Effective Proactive Customer Service Strategy”
[online]. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/adrianswinscoe/2015/02/02/how-to-implement-
an-effective-proactive-customer-service-strategy/#4a94a1ba650e [2019].
4 ThuyUyen H. Nguyen (2014), “Strategies for successful CRM implementation” International Journal of
Business, Vol 15, No. 2.
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Customer Service Strategy
Internal Customer Requirement
An internal customer is someone who helps the company in catering to the end customer.
Such a person can be best deemed as a vendor important for carrying out activities for the
company which are not taken care of by itself. In the case of AET Pvt Ltd, the internal
customers are the trailer leasing companies which give their trailers on lease to AET to carry
out their operations5. Now, in order to keep these customers satisfied, it is important to
ensure that their demands and needs are given preference too since they help in profit
generation. Internal customers are an integral part of the supply chain, and any pause can
lead to a loss.
External Customer Requirement
External customers are customers who are direct customers of the end product of the
company but are not a part of the company, unlike the internal customers. These are the
companies which require transportation services from AET Pvt Ltd. The strategy has to focus
on ensuring that their feedbacks are taken into care since these customers are the main
source of income and cannot be compromised upon. Their services will mostly require
assuring the safety of the products and timely delivery mostly. Here, it is important to
maximise productivity in the service being provided to them6.
Specific Customer Service Standards
Customer service standards are important to establish since they determine the customer
expectation from the company and the business generated from them. If a customer is
happy with the quality of the service being provided, they are most likely to return to AET
5 Marko Komssi and others (2013), “Roadmapping Problems In Practice: Value Creation From The
Perspective Of The Customers” voL 20.
6 Rodriguez, Alexander Sánchez, Reyner Pérez Campdesuñer, and Gelmar García Vidal (2017). “Tools
for measuring and improving external customer satisfaction in stores of Santo Domingo, Ecuador” Vol
1 [2019]
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Customer Service Strategy
for their transportation needs. Keeping this in mind, it is important to set certain service
standards, such as:
 Proper and professional communication
 Making timelines to avoid confusion
 Constantly available on call to ensure fast troubleshooting 7
Implementation of Procedures
These procedures are the customer service procedure highlighted above. The ten step
process will do the function well if implemented, executed and checked in the right manner.
Complaints and Grievance Handling
No business is perfect and problems are bound to occur. In this case of AET Pvt Ltd, the kind
of problems that can happen on the company's end can be late delivery of the product or
the product is spoilt during the journey or the product is lost and several other things. It is
the company's responsibility to ensure these issues are promptly taken care of when
complained by the customer8. What is more important is to keep a check in the way the
problem is being dealt with. For this job, the right kind of people has to be deployed who
can calm the customer and solve the issue as well.
Required Resources
Following are some of the resources required by AET to carry out effective customer service:
 Customer relationship manager
7 PATRICIA Loch (2017), “Example Customer Service Standards” [Online]. Avaialble:
https://thethrivingsmallbusiness.com/customer-service-standards/ [2019].
8 Concepción Varela Neira (2010), “Explaining customer satisfaction with complaint handling” [2010]‐
International Journal of Business Vol 28.
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Customer Service Strategy
 Customer service team
 Telecommunication
 Internet availability
 Empathy and patience to deal with the customer
Customer Service Monitoring
This is essential. It is basically the word of mouth corollary in play here. The fact is simple. If
the services provided by the company to its customers is good, the customer itself will speak
for the company and their services, thus, marketing the company to other similar
customers. To build this, AET has to focus a lot on their customer service team and how they
function. A lot of finances should be given to this particular segment as a potential
investment to be recovered by the company. To ensure that the customer service is being
provided in the best possible manner, the company executives have to monitor them. This
can be done by surprise checks and customer feedback.
Bibliography
Barber NR Goodman, Jr., 'A Strategic Approach To Managing Customer Service Quality'. In
Journal of Service Science, Vol 4 No. 2 (2011).
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Customer Service Strategy
Komssi M and others,”Roadmapping Problems In Practice: Value Creation From The
Perspective Of The Customers”. In Requirements Engineering, Vol 20 (2013).
Linton I, [2015], “How To Develop A Customer Care Strategy’' [Online].
https://smallbusiness.chron.com/develop-customer-care-strategy-39910.htm [2019].
Lotich P [2016], 'Example Customer Service Standards – The Thriving Small Business'
<https://thethrivingsmallbusiness.com/customer-service-standards/ [2019]
Nguyen T . “Strategies for Successful CRM Implementation”. In Information Management &
Computer Security, Vol 15, (2007).
Rodriguez A and others, “Tools For Measuring And Improving External Customer Satisfaction
In Stores Of Santo Domingo, Ecuador”. In International Journal of Engineering Business
Management Vol 9, (2017).
Swinscoe A [2015], 'How To Implement An Effective Proactive Customer Service Strategy'
https://www.forbes.com/sites/adrianswinscoe/2015/02/02/how-to-implement-an-
effective-proactive-customer-service-strategy/ [2019].
Varela Neira C, R Vázquez CasiellesV Iglesias.‐ ‐ ”Explaining Customer Satisfaction With
Complaint Handling”. In International Journal of Bank Marketing, ” Vol 28, (2010).
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